As Foreigners

Read: 1 Peter 1

Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” 1 Peter 1:17

IN WORD

Living with an eye on the future Kingdom doesn’t mean taking our eyes off the present Kingdom. It does, however, involve an acute awareness of a day of judgment, a reckoning, an assessment of all we’ve done. We needn’t fear punishment; perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), and we’ve been amply assured that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1) because our sins have been paid for. Still, we will see the true impact of our lives; rewards will be decided for faithfulness and fruitfulness, for investing the gifts God has given for the advancement of His Kingdom.

That’s a sobering thought. If we let it sink in, it guides our use of time and resources, our major life decisions as well as our daily activities, our relationships with others and our prayers for them. If we are truly Kingdom-minded, we will find ourselves being drawn to Kingdom-impacting endeavors. We will sacrifice the substance of this world for the sake of eternal gains. We will find that day of assessment to be a powerful force in our lives. The promise of the future will shape everything in the present.

IN DEED

The world under its current systems is not our home, and we can’t afford to act as if it is. When we live as citizens of this age, we lose sight of our true purpose and mission. We lack clarity. We won’t be prepared for that day of unveiling, when the King comes and the fullness of His Kingdom is revealed. No, we live as foreigners, fully aware that the day is coming when everyone will give an account. Are we afraid? Perhaps a little. A bumpy airplane, a roller coaster, or looking straight down from a skyscraper can be frightening, even though we know we’ll be fine. An encounter with Jesus at His judgment seat will drive us to our knees, but we’ll come through with mercy and salvation intact. Even so, our Kingdom investments will be shown for what they are, even down to the motives behind them. Live with that day in mind.

ADDITIONAL READING: Matthew 25:14-30

Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.

MATTHEW HENRY