11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
“Aliens from other countries are rarely shown the ‘welcome mat’... They may even find themselves victims of discrimination, rejection, or intolerance. The Bible says that we are ‘aliens and strangers in the world’ (1 Peter 2:11)...Our customs are different, our ways of living are different, our concerns are different. And as Christ’s followers...we may find ourselves scorned, rejected, or even persecuted. If so, we shouldn’t be surprised. Jesus warned, ‘If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you’ (John 15:20). But never forget: You are a citizen of the Kingdom of God. And some day you will be Home!” Billy Graham
“Christians, whose citizenship is in heaven, live in the midst of a pagan society as aliens and sojourners, displaced persons whose thoughts should often turn toward their true home. Bible Knowledge Commentary
“If you were not strangers here, the dogs of the world would not bark at you.” Samuel Rutherford
“Jesus modeled for us the proper balance. He walked among the worldly without becoming like them. He mingled with sinners but He never sinned. He showed them God’s love and spoke the Truth without compromise. Even when He faced betrayal and torture and an excruciating death, Jesus stood for Truth because He knew the eternal significance of His sacrifices.” Michael Youssef
“Does my life and conduct correspond to my high calling as a Christian? Am I actuated by the love of Christ instead of worldly ambition? Do I prefer God’s honor to my own and justice to gain? When I look to myself, I feel such a burden of sin that no other hope of salvation is left me but in the mercy of Christ alone.” Gregory VII - Hildebrand
“Chosen one of God, may you find it easy to follow your King. May you find your life when you are willing to lose it for the sake of the Kingdom. May our Lord lift you up to a place higher than you could ever dream. May your choice to follow Christ echo throughout all generations that follow you, and may you receive rewards on earth and in heaven for your commitment to live for our mighty Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Sheri Rose Shepherd