“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

1 PETER 1:1-2, ESV

As we continue to look at one of the richest greetings in the New Testament, today we’ll take a closer look at the second part of the interesting phrase “elect exiles.”

Identity is a big thing in our day. Rights, special interests. We yell loudly but we’re far from settled. I find it interesting that even our culture’s cherished LGBTQ+ moniker ends with a question and a plus something else. This evidences that how we feel about ourselves is fragile and fluid. And regardless of what group we identify with, as a nation, our confidence in who we are and where we’re going is paper thin.

Myriads of studies tell us that too much time on social media doesn’t help and yet we constantly get lost in this word. We feel the disproportionate amount of time we spend is justified as we need to relax or distract ourselves from our less than engaging lives.[1] The choice to stay comfortably numb keeps us in a constant place of trying to live the life we wish we had rather than the one we have. Comparison kills contentment.

My larger concern, however, is not the misuse of social media, but that the virtual may be keeping us from something real, including a rock solid identity in Christ—the kind we encounter in 1 Peter 1:1-2.

Christians are “exiles” or “strangers in the world.” The ESV Study Bible notes that:

“The people receiving his letter are elect exiles of the dispersion. Peter is not speaking of a literal exile (cf. 1 Pet. 1:17; 2:11). Believers long for their true home in the new world that is coming and for their end-time inheritance, for they do not conform to the values and worldviews of this present evil age. Believers are not only exiles but God’s “elect exiles.” They are his chosen people, just as Israel is designated as God’s chosen people in the OT (Deut. 4:37; 7:6–8; Ps. 106:5; Isa. 43:20; 45:4). Since the recipients of his letter were primarily Gentiles, Peter explicitly teaches that the church of Jesus Christ is the new Israel—God’s new chosen people. “Dispersion” (Gk. diaspora) points to the same truth. It is typically used to describe the scattering of the Jews throughout the world (Deut. 28:25; 30:4; Neh. 1:9; Ps. 147:2; Isa. 49:6; Jer. 15:7; 41:17; cf. also John 7:35; James 1:1; note on Acts 2:9–11), but Peter sees a parallel in the church being dispersed throughout the world.”[2]

Now, it’s true that some of Peter’s readers were from the slave classes. They were castaways because of their social status, but also—more and more—because of their commitment to Jesus.

Increasingly in our day, if we live out our faith, we too risk being socially marginalized. When this happens, we need to remember that, as “elect exiles,” we have all three persons of the Triune God devoted to us!

I love the words to Degarmo and Key classic CCM song “I’m Accepted.” Written originally for students, it’s still relevant to believers of any age:

I may not be rich
Don’t wear fashion clothes
Don’t live in a mansion
Don’t have much that shows
Never won a contest in popularity
Don’t have much to offer
But Jesus still loves me

I’m accepted, accepted
I’m accepted by the One who matters most

Never set a record in sports agility
Never was magnetic in personality
That don’t really matter
I’ll do the best I can
Cause there’s a God above me 
Who loves me like I am

I’m accepted, accepted
I’m accepted by the One who matters most

from The Pledge by Degarmo & Key, 1989.

Again, it’s about reclaiming a Christian identity: we’re exiles but we’re “elect exiles” and loved by the one who matters most!

Next week, we’ll conclude our “elect exiles” identity series with “Cultivating Eternal Wishes for Others, Part 5 of 5.”

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[1] BTW, here are two questions I use to evaluate my use of social media:

• Am I spending more time on [insert your social media of choice] than I am engaging face-to-face with those I love?
• Is my mindless scrolling keeping me from learning, growing, or intentional effort toward being my best self?

[2] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2405). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.