Living Like Christ: Strategy for Life Where We Don't Belong

Devotional

Day 1: Strangers in a Hostile Land

Peter called scattered believers “sojourners and exiles” – people who didn’t belong in Roman cities. Their true citizenship was in Christ’s kingdom. Yet God commanded them to live honorably in hostile culture, shining as “a holy nation” amid darkness. Their alien status became their witness. [23:09]

Jesus redefines belonging. We’re no longer slaves to cultural approval but free servants of God. Our strangeness isn’t failure – it’s our identity. Like Abraham dwelling in tents, we’re permanent residents of a better country.

Where have you tried too hard to “fit in” this week? Name one relationship where you’ve hidden your allegiance to Christ to avoid awkwardness. Will you choose to live as God’s free exile there today?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh.”
(1 Peter 2:9-11, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to make you joyfully aware of your true citizenship when worldly pressures intensify.

Challenge: Write “I belong to Christ’s kingdom” on three sticky notes. Place them where you’ll see them during routine tasks.

Day 2: Submitting Under Nero’s Shadow

Peter told persecuted Christians to “be subject to every human institution” – even Emperor Nero, who burned Christians alive. This wasn’t cowardice. By washing feet and carrying crosses, Jesus showed true power flows through submission. [27:21]

Governments exist because God permits them. Our submission testifies to higher allegiance. When we obey flawed laws while boldly doing good, we expose evil without becoming mirrors of its rage.

What human authority feels hardest to respect right now? How could honoring them (without compromising truth) become your act of war against darkness?

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution… Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”
(1 Peter 2:13-16, ESV)

Prayer: Confess resentment toward a specific leader. Thank God they’ll answer to Him.

Challenge: Text one encouraging Scripture to someone serving in government or law enforcement.

Day 3: Seeking Babylon’s Shalom

Jeremiah told exiles: “Seek the welfare of the city.” Captives built homes, planted gardens, and prayed for enemies. Their active love made pagan Babylon prosper. Through service, not sermons, they proved God’s care. [31:29]

We’re called to be better neighbors than those who “belong.” When we pick up trash others ignore, employ the unhireable, or feed the forgotten, we enact Christ’s coming kingdom.

What broken system in your community needs your hands more than your opinions?

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
(Jeremiah 29:7, ESV)

Prayer: Intercede for three specific neighbors by name – especially those hostile to faith.

Challenge: Buy groceries for a struggling family or individual this week. Don’t announce it.

Day 4: Scars That Shepherd Souls

Jesus endured the cross’s shame, entrusting Himself to the Father. His scars didn’t vanish after resurrection – they became proof of love that outlasts hatred. When we suffer for doing good, our wounds preach. [48:27]

Unjust suffering feels wasteful until we see it as seed. Every silent insult borne with grace, every canceled contract accepted without retaliation, becomes fertile soil for redemption.

What fresh wound stings your soul? How might entrusting it to Christ multiply its purpose?

“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”
(1 Peter 2:23, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for one specific scar He carries for you. Ask to share His patience.

Challenge: Memorize 1 Peter 2:20. Whisper it when facing unfair treatment today.

Day 5: Obeying the Unseen Emperor

Peter stood before the Sanhedrin – the same men who crucified Jesus – and refused to stop preaching. His loyalty wasn’t rebellion against earthly powers but obedience to heaven’s throne. [40:56]

We don’t resist culture by yelling louder but by kneeling lower. Our quiet “we must obey God” dismantles empires. Every moral stand taken without malice plants gospel dynamite in enemy walls.

Where is God calling you to gentle but unyielding faithfulness this week?

“But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’”
(Acts 4:19-20, ESV)

Prayer: Ask boldness to speak Christ’s name in one intimidating relationship.

Challenge: Share your testimony with one person outside church circles within 48 hours.

Sermon Summary

We increasingly feel that we do not belong in the surrounding culture, and we name that reality honestly. We read in First Peter that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, but we also live as sojourners and exiles passing through a place that is not our home. We face pressure from the state and pressure at work, and we will not respond by hiding, assimilating, or fighting by worldly power. We commit instead to a gospel-shaped strategy: submit to human authorities for the Lord's sake, yet remember that God owns us; actively do good to silence ignorance and to seek the welfare of our cities; and stand ready to endure unjust suffering as a gracious witness.

We practice faithful submission in the public square by obeying lawful requirements, paying taxes, and honoring officials when they do their God-given task, because governing authority carries something of God’s design even when it is broken. We refuse to let the state redefine our identity, because we belong to God and exercise freedom as his servants. We pursue gospel civil disobedience by preaching and living the gospel, calling people out of darkness into Christ’s kingdom rather than using force or retreat.

We bring that same posture into the workplace by doing the work we were hired to do well, even under unjust bosses, and by accepting suffering that comes for doing good as commendable in God’s eyes. We follow Christ’s example who suffered without sin, did not revile when reviled, submitted to unjust authorities, and entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. Because Christ bore our sin on the tree, we now live to righteousness and find healing and belonging under his shepherding care.

We therefore keep our eyes fixed on the cross and on the risen shepherd as we submit, do good, preach the gospel, and endure. We trust the shepherd to judge justly, to tend our souls now, and to bring full vindication in his timing.

Key Takeaways

1. We are sojourners and exiles We accept that our true citizenship belongs to God and not to any fallen culture. This frees us from trying to make the world our home and reorients our loyalty, choices, and longings toward the kingdom. We then measure our actions by what pleases the Shepherd rather than by cultural approval. [23:25]
2. Submit to human authorities faithfully We obey laws and pay taxes when possible, because government retains God-given roles even when corrupt. We submit not because the state defines us, but because God does, and submission becomes a form of worship that honors God’s order. This posture prevents violent revolt and opens space for Gospel witness. [27:06]
3. Do good as gospel civil disobedience We seek the welfare of our city and meet needs rather than withdraw or assimilate, letting acts of love and truth undermine false systems. Preaching and serving call people out of one kingdom into another, which functions as subversive yet nonviolent resistance. This endurance of good silences ignorance and points to the reign of Christ. [33:53]
4. Suffer like Christ, trust the Shepherd We endure unjust suffering when it comes from doing good, following Christ who suffered without sin and entrusted himself to God. Such endurance receives divine commendation and participates in the redemptive work of the cross. We hold fast to the Shepherd who heals, oversees our souls, and comforts us in the valley. [48:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:19] - What to do when we do not belong
[17:02] - Personal stories of not belonging
[21:02] - Cultural shift and statistics
[23:09] - Biblical identity as sojourners
[27:06] - Strategy for the state
[33:53] - Gospel civil disobedience and city welfare
[41:16] - Work, bosses, and suffering
[47:21] - Christ as example and shepherd

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
1 Peter 2:9-12 (ESV)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:13-17 (ESV)
13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:18-25 (ESV)
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Observation Questions

What four identities does Peter use to describe believers in 1 Peter 2:9, and what contrast does he make in verse 11?
According to 1 Peter 2:15-16, what is the purpose of "doing good," and how does this relate to Christian freedom?
In 1 Peter 2:21-23, what specific actions did Jesus avoid when suffering unjustly, and what did He choose to do instead?
The sermon emphasized that submission to authorities is "a form of worship" [27:06]. How does 1 Peter 2:13-17 connect submission to honoring God?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Peter call believers "sojourners and exiles" (1 Peter 2:11) while also commanding them to "keep [their] conduct honorable" among outsiders? How might honorable conduct serve as a witness?
The sermon described "gospel civil disobedience" as preaching and serving to call people into Christ’s kingdom [33:53]. How does 1 Peter 2:12 and 15 support this idea of subversive yet nonviolent resistance?
In 1 Peter 2:18-20, why is enduring unjust suffering called "a gracious thing"? How does Christ’s example (vv. 21-25) redefine the purpose of such suffering?
The sermon stated, "We fear God and obey Him first" even if it means breaking human laws [38:30]. How does 1 Peter 2:16-17 balance submission to authorities with ultimate allegiance to God?

Application Questions

Peter urges believers to "seek the welfare of the city" like exiles [31:29]. What specific act of service or kindness could you do this week to actively pursue the good of your community?
When have you struggled to submit to an authority figure (e.g., boss, government) because their demands felt unfair or ungodly? How might trusting God’s oversight (1 Peter 2:23) change your response?
The sermon highlighted that enduring suffering for doing good is "commendable in God’s eyes" [45:19]. Is there a situation where you’re currently facing pushback for living out your faith? How can you entrust that outcome to God?
Jesus "did not revile in return" when insulted (1 Peter 2:23). Is there a relationship where you’re tempted to retaliate or withdraw? What would it look like to respond with grace instead?
The sermon described workplace obedience as "doing the job you were hired to do well" even under unfair conditions [42:50]. How could excellence in your daily work become a witness to Christ’s lordship?
How does recognizing yourself as a "sojourner" (1 Peter 2:11) reshape your priorities when cultural values clash with biblical truth? What’s one area where you need to reorient your loyalty to God’s kingdom?

Sermon Clips

56s

#BelongInChrist

“``Jesus bore our sin on the cross freeing us from its power and allowing us to live like him righteously. And through his submission to unjust suffering, he brought healing. And further, we, a people who do not belong, now belong to him. And he is our shepherd. We have people who don't belong in this world through Jesus' unjust suffering now belong to him. We've been brought into his fold. He died for the very people who hate him. And this is the model that we've been given.”

41s

#SubmitLikeJesus

“He submitted to the government and he allowed them to unjustly torture him. Unjustly beat him. Unjustly mock him, unjustly sentence him to death, and unjustly crucify him. Jesus submitted to the government and he trusted God and he brought the salvation of the world. That is the example to follow. Because you're right, it's not right. It's unjust. That's what we're called to do.”

45s

#SufferAndServe

“And so in this life, when we're at work or the government is against us, our job is to suffer and endure it. To do good for the very ones who are causing the suffering. And when Jesus suffered, when he was beaten and mocked, he did no sin. He didn't revile back when he was reviled. He didn't mock back when he was mocked. Jesus could have brought angels down to save him from the unjust government causing him to suffer yet he didn't.”

49s

#FreeToGod

“But the context of first Peter is the government. And so who are we free from? I think Peter's making a point that we're actually free from the government. The government doesn't own us. The government doesn't have the final say on who we are or what we do. We belong to God. We are his slaves, not the government's. And so we're free, but in relationship to God we are slaves. And so he says submit to emperor Nero not because Nero owns you, but because God does. And this is what he would have of you.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Grace Life Bible Church This sermon · AI assistant

How should Christians relate to governing authorities?

What defines Christian civil disobedience today?

How does the cross inform suffering and submission?