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Postured: Resources for Living as Foreigners and Exiles

Postured: Resources for Living as Foreigners and Exiles

Last updated on: October 27, 2026 at 9:53 pm by Jeff McLain

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Postured: Resources for Living as Foreigners and Exiles 2026-10-27T21:53:15-04:00 Jeff McLain

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1 Peter 2:11–12 reminds Christians to live as foreigners and exiles, honoring God through lives of goodness and faithfulness. (NIV) Image credit: Image created by OpenAI’s ChatGPT ImageGen.

1 Peter 2:11–12 reminds Christians to live as foreigners and exiles, honoring God through lives of goodness and faithfulness. (NIV)
Image credit: Image created by OpenAI’s ChatGPT ImageGen.

In my last post, I explored 1 Peter 2:11–17 and Peter’s call for followers of Jesus to live as foreigners and exiles in the world. In Postured: Live as Foreigners and Exiles, we looked at three practical ways to live out the postured way of living in which Peter calls his church. In that 1 Peter 2:11–17 passage, Peter calls them to live from a place of being beloved, live as those who belong to another kingdom, and live good lives as an act of worship so that others may worship God. I encourage you to explore that blog post to further explore this topic and posture for living.

This passage, and the posture it calls us to live, matters largely because we live in a world full of many influential and competing voices, values, and visions. Politics, culture, the pursuit of recognition, and our desire to belong can shape us more than we realize. In 1 Peter 2:11–17, Peter reminds us that our ultimate allegiance belongs to Jesus. We are not called to withdraw from the world or simply become like it. We are called to live distinctively as Jesus’ people in 1 Peter 2:11–17, to be foreigners and exiles, a posture for living that doesn’t get caught up in the ways of the world and allows our lives to bear witness to the goodness of God.

Throughout this Postured blog series, we will be exploring seven passages from the letters of Peter and Paul that invite us to consider how we live, speak, and respond to the world around us. The central question is simple: What is shaping us? Then, we explore the ways that the Scriptures might be asking us to be postured in a way that looks, acts, and sounds differently.

For each of these blog posts through he Postured series, and the reflections on these verses that tell us how to posture ourselves in the world around us, I wanted to not only share my thoughts but share a few resources (sometimes similar or even different) on the verse, on living this posture out, that can be helpful to you as you hopefully reflect further on this passage and the posture Peter calls us to adopt as followers of Jesus.

I am convinced these seven passages offer seven postures that are important for followers of Jesus to embrace in our time. This particular passage, 1 Peter 2:11–17, has been with me for a long time. Since first saying yes to Jesus and returning to serve his church and cause, these verses in 1 Peter 2:11–17 have continued to shift and shape how I see the world around me. They remind me of my true citizenship and where my ultimate allegiance belongs. I don’t hold to a two-kingdom theology; I believe we belong to one kingdom, the Kingdom of God, and are called to live as its citizens wherever we find ourselves. This passage has been one of the texts that drew me toward the Anabaptist movement, with its emphasis on following Jesus, living faithfully as his people, and embodying the way of his kingdom in the world. For me, being a follower of Jesus is not about withdrawing from the world or allowing the world to determine who we become. It is about remembering whose we are, allowing Jesus to shape our lives, and bearing witness to his kingdom through how we live, love, serve, and respond to the people around us.

The Postured Sunday Morning Series

This blog series is also reflective of the Postured Sunday morning series we are doing on these seven passages and postures at River Corner Church. River Corner Church is a simple church community of Jesus followers rooted in Lancaster, PA. The vision for the Sunday morning Postured series at River Corner Church is to explore seven passages from the letters of Peter and Paul that call followers of Jesus to live, speak, and respond to the world differently. Through Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit, we want to be shaped into people who reflect the character of Jesus and embody the values of his kingdom. Rather than withdrawing from the world or allowing its competing voices, values, and visions to shape us, we will learn to live faithfully as citizens of God’s kingdom, bearing witness to Jesus through our everyday lives, relationships, words, and actions. You can listen to the audio of Foreigners and Exiles (1 Peter 2:11–17) anywhere Podcasts are found. You can also watch the message on YouTube.

Resources for Reflection: Living as Foreigners and Exiles

In my last post, I explored 1 Peter 2:11–17 and Peter’s call for followers of Jesus to live as foreigners and exiles in the world. In Postured: Live as Foreigners and Exiles, we looked at three practical ways to live out this posture: living from a place of being beloved, living as those who belong to another kingdom, and living good lives as an act of worship so that others may worship God.

This passage has been shaping how I understand the world around me for a long time. It reminds me that my ultimate allegiance belongs to Jesus and that we are called to live as citizens of God’s kingdom wherever we find ourselves. This is one of the reasons I have been drawn toward the Anabaptist movement and its emphasis on following Jesus and embodying the way of his kingdom in the world.

As part of the Postured series, I want to share resources that help us spend more time with these passages and consider how we can live out the postures Peter and Paul call us to embrace. My hope is that these resources will help you reflect more deeply on Scripture, encounter different perspectives, and consider what it means to follow Jesus faithfully in our time and place.

Resources for Reflection

Here are a few resources to help you spend more time with this passage and consider what it means to live faithfully as followers of Jesus in the world.

Read 1 Peter 2:11–17 in Different Bible Translations. One of the simplest ways to spend more time with a passage is to read it in several Bible translations. Different translations can help us notice nuances in the wording and consider the meaning of particular phrases.I recommend comparing the NET, NRSVUE, and NASB as you reflect on Peter’s words about our identity, conduct, freedom, and relationship to authority. Pay particular attention to what Peter says about being foreigners and exiles, living good lives among those who do not share our faith, and submitting to human authority for the Lord’s sake.

As you read, ask yourself: What stands out to me? What challenges my understanding? What does this passage teach me about how I am called to live as a follower of Jesus? You can read the 2 Peter 2 passage in a side-by-side parallel version between these versions on Bible Gateway.
Read Resident Aliens by Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon. One book worth exploring alongside this passage is this classic read from Hauerwas and Willimon. The book explores what it means for the church to live as a distinct community within the surrounding culture. It offers a challenging perspective on Christian identity, the church’s mission, and what it means to belong to God’s kingdom while living in the world.These themes connect closely with Peter’s description of Christians as foreigners and exiles. What does it mean for the church to be a community shaped by Jesus rather than simply reflecting the values and priorities of the surrounding culture? How might our life together demonstrate the kind of kingdom to which we belong? These are important questions for the church to consider as we seek to follow Jesus faithfully. You can find Resident Aliens on Amazon.
Read Rachel L. Coleman’s Article on Exiles, Aliens, and Strangers. You may find Rachel L. Coleman’s article, “Exiles, Aliens, and Strangers: Reading and Living in the Company of the Global Church,” helpful as it offers another perspective on the church’s identity as a people living as strangers and exiles. Personally, I appreciate resources that help us look at familiar passages from different angles. Reading beyond our usual perspectives can broaden our understanding of Scripture and challenge us to consider how its teaching applies to the wider church.Peter’s words were written to believers scattered across different regions, living in circumstances that challenged their identity and faithfulness. Reflecting on the church’s global identity can help us consider what it means to belong to Jesus alongside believers whose cultures and circumstances differ from our own. You can find this article free, online at Asbury Universty. Read the article.
Reflect on This Quote from C. S. Lewis. C. S. Lewis famously wrote: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” This quote captures something of the tension Peter describes. We live in this world, but the things it offers cannot ultimately define us or satisfy our deepest longings. Our identity and hope are rooted in God and the kingdom he is bringing.It is easy to look to the world for a sense of belonging, recognition, security, or fulfillment. Yet Peter reminds us that we belong to Jesus. We do not have to build our identity around the things our culture tells us are most important.

As you reflect on this quote, consider where you are looking for fulfillment and belonging. Are there things you have been pursuing that have begun to compete with your allegiance to Jesus? What might it look like to find your identity and hope more deeply rooted in him?
Listen to Another Perspective on 1 Peter 2:11–17. If you want to hear another pastor work through this passage, here is a sermon by Skip Heitzig that approaches the text from a different angle. I love Skip Heitzig’s approaching to teaching and preaching and listen to him regularly. Though I do not always agree with Skip, mainly around eschatology, Skip is a trusted and authoritative source to help understand the Scriptures.I have found that listening to another sermon can help us notice aspects of a passage we may have overlooked. It can also prompt us to revisit our assumptions and think more carefully about how we understand and apply Scripture. As you listen, consider where the message overlaps with your own understanding of Peter’s words and where it challenges you to think differently. Watch the sermon on YouTube.

To Which Kingdom or Kingdoms to we Pledge?

The idea that there are two kingdoms, and that in some way we belong to both and have responsibility to both, has a long history in Christian thought, including Augustine’s distinction between the City of God and the earthly city, which has influenced how Christians understand their relationship with the world and its political powers. This is the popular thought. We can somehow walk this tight rope between the Kingdom of God and the World’s Powers around us. There are some that even think we should take over the “Seven Mountains” of our world for the Kingdom.

However, the Anabaptist tradition that I have been in for over the past decade, approaches the relationship with Kingdoms differently, emphasizing that followers of Jesus belong to only God’s kingdom and we have only one responsibility, we are called to embody its way of life even while living within earthly societies. Can we truly seek two kingdoms, giving our ultimate allegiance to one while pursuing the interests and values of another? We live in one world, among its people and under its governing authorities, but we belong to one kingdom and seek the interests of one King. Like Daniel, we live well in the Kingdom of the world around us, but only influenced, belonging, and responsible for the kingdom of our Citizenship.

As Jeremiah instructed the exiles in Babylon, we are to seek the peace and prosperity of the place where we live (Jeremiah 29:7, NIV), working for the good of our neighbors rather than withdrawing from society. This is also part of Peter’s call in 1 Peter 2:11–17, to live honorably among those who do not share our faith, respecting others and doing good while remembering that our ultimate allegiance belongs to God. We do not engage the world primarily to advance the latest political loyalties or cultural trends, nor do we measure our faithfulness by how much influence we gain within earthly systems. Instead, we seek to serve our neighbors and contribute to the common good from the convictions, values, and hope of God’s holy and eternal kingdom. Our citizenship, deepest interests, and ultimate hope belong to Jesus, and it is his kingdom that shapes how we live in every other place we find ourselves.

Our calling is not to impose the latest political loyalties or cultural trends on the world, but to bear witness to the values of God’s holy and eternal kingdom. We engage the world for the good of our neighbors, but it is Jesus who shapes our convictions, defines our interests, directs our allegiance, and determines the kind of influence we seek to have.

A Few Other Things to Check Out

Alongside these resources, I wanted to share two other things I’ve recently published. I reviewed the NET Full Notes Edition Bible, including why I find it a useful resource for studying Scripture and understanding the context and meaning of a passage. Read my review: The NET Bible Full Notes Edition. I also recently wrote about the temptation to celebrate when our enemies fall and what it means to follow Jesus in the face of hostility. This connects with Peter’s call to live honorably among those who do not share our faith, reminding us that our allegiance to Jesus should shape not only our beliefs but also how we respond to those who disagree with us, mistreat us, or whom we consider our enemies. How we respond to hostility reveals something about the people we are becoming. Read “Do Not Rejoice When Your Enemy Falls: The Cheers for Death”.

What Is Posturing You?

As you work through these resources, I encourage you to return to the central question of this series: What is shaping us? Our habits, relationships, political loyalties, conversations, and desires all influence the people we become. We can confess that Jesus is Lord while allowing other voices to shape our priorities, our attitudes, and the ways we treat people. In 1 Peter 2:11–17, Peter calls us to remember who we are and whose we are. We belong to Jesus, and our lives should increasingly reflect the character of the One we follow.

Take some time this week to revisit 1 Peter 2:11–17. Read it slowly, listen to what God may be bringing to your attention, and consider one practical way you can live more faithfully as a citizen of God’s kingdom. We are not called to withdraw from the world or simply become like it. We are called to live as Jesus’ people in the midst of it, bearing witness to his goodness through how we live, love, serve, and respond to those around us.

Walk out the way. Live the life God has prepared for you.

Again, this is a continued conversation from Postured: Live as Foreigners and Exiles.

If this post resonated, subscribe for future reflections, share it with a friend, or leave a comment. You can learn more about his journey to recover a rooted Christian way of life through the Lord’s Prayer, ancient habits, leading a quiet life, and simple Jesus communities online at JeffMcLain.com, the Lead a Quiet Life blog on Patheos, or the Discovering God Podcast.

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Series: Postured

1 Peter 2:11–17

About Jeff McLain

Jeff McLain is a Doctor of Ministry Student on the Lord’s Prayer at Kairos University, Director of Pastoral Ministries at Water Street Mission, and a pastor at River Corner Church. Mobilized by 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Jeff blogs about recovering a rooted Christian way of life through the Lord’s Prayer, ancient habits, leading a quiet life, and simple Jesus communities. You can read more about the author here.

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