11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
vs. 11 - "beloved" - Peter is addressing fellow Christians. He talks to them as brothers and sisters - family, not just other people. .
"aliens and strangers" - Okay, aliens and strangers to what? If Peter was refering to Gentiles, they were 'aliens' from God's salvation message given to the Jews. They were 'strangers' from the whole history of God and His people. If Peter was refering to the Jews, they were called 'strangers in a strange land' while in captivity. I don't think either makes much sense.
Peter has just addressed them as 'beloved' - Peter loves them because they are part of the church family. (Rom. 12:5) Not that Peter loves non-believers less. Believers are children of God, and there is a 'family' relationship. For example, if you are a fan of the Oregon State Beavers and you meet another Beaver fan, there is an instant camaraderie based on that fandom. (It may not go deeper than that but it is a relationship you would not have with a fan of any other college team.) In the same way, Christians are not strangers to the love of God, being saved by His grace.
Peter wants you to realize you are no longer members of this world, but denizens of another more magnificent reality. This world is no longer your home. Your home is in heaven and you are a visitor here. You have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred tothe kingdom of His beloved Son. (Col. 1:13) How strange to think of the world into which you were born, the one in which you grew up, the one in which you sit now while reading is an alien land. This is not your home. You are a 'stranger' here. So, if this is not your home then you are not controlled any longer by the 'rules' of this space. Fleshly lusts are the norm here. You are no longer subject to the sin around you.
This may be one of the most difficult concepts to grasp. We are physically bound to this world. It is real - the pain, the suffering, the joy, and the common - eating, drinking, sleeping, work. The spiritual world is also real - our thoughts, our spirit, our faith. Our behavior is determined by our beliefs and our will to follow those beliefs. We are what we believe. (Prov. 23:7; Gen. 6:15; Job. 4:24; Psa. 37:31; Matt. 12:34, 15:18; Luk 6:45)
The book "Total Truth" (Nancy Pearcey) points out that both ancient and modern philosophies have tried to separate the spiritual and the physical. The physical is 'real' and 'true'. The spiritual is in your mind, is not 'real' and therefore does not have the same 'truth' as the physical. Her emphasis is both physical and spiritual form a total truth. They cannot be separated. This is the battle we face each day. Do we follow the old nature, which is bound by sin and defiles us? Do we turn to Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit and live life abundantly? It is our choice. It does not happen automatically. Turn from your old ways which are part of your ignorance of Christ, and choose the new. That is what makes you a 'stranger and an alien' in this world.
"fleshly lusts which war against the soul." - That which is of the flesh is against the spirit. See: Rom. 8:5-8, 13; James 1:21, 4:1-4; 1 John 2:15-16; Gal. 6:7,8.
vs. 12 - "Keep your behavior excellent" - Keep your actions so above reproach, that even non-believers will know you are Christ's own at His return. They will see your good deeds, how you live your life, how you respond in any and every circumstance, and will acknowledge that you were a Christian. See: Phil. 2:15; 2 Cor. 8:21; Rom. 12:17; 1 Thess. 5:22. But before that, during this life, they will see that you are not like others who do not believe.
This verse also helps us see that 'aliens and strangers' was not about Gentiles or Jews in the previous verse. We are to live amongst the Gentiles so that no bad thing can be said about us. I am not refering to persecution, but reputation. Your life must be authentically Christian. You must 'good to the bone' - all the way down to your inner most being. In this way, any slander will be recognized as untrue and evil. When someone slanders your good name ('Christian') you want others to shake their heads and say, "That doesn't sound like the person I know." Or someone will say, "That can't be. I know them. They are Christian!" God will be glorified by your life. This same message was delivered in Ezek. 36:21. The Jews disobedience and stubbornness had profaned the the name of God - it was no longer viewed as 'holy' by other nations. His reputation was besmirched.
"day of visitation" - This probably refers to Christ's return and not referring to rapture; it is at the return for judgement that all will acknowledge Jesus is Lord. See: Phil. 2:9-11.
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