Active aliens Awaiting Jesus

1 Peter 2:11-12 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.
 
HAVE you ever considered you are an alien in the world? In Jesus, you are born again, aren’t you? Your faith takes you into a Spirit-driven life that puts aside the old life to wear the new clothes of your salvation. The apostle Paul writes it this way in Romans 13:12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
   You know you are alien in the world when your primary desire is to seek God first each day. He is your Shepherd to guide you on the paths of righteous for his name’s sake. You desire to learn and do God’s will, and you put this ahead of the world’s will for your life.
   There are many ways this can become real for your life. You might choose a particular career because it will enable you to help people in a manner God has gifted you. The ways you distribute your money will be God’s ways. You put aside funds to support the church and Christian organizations. You tithe in the manner God directs you. Jesus’ aliens in the world see their material possessions as God’s gifts to use for God’s purposes.
   How else might you be an alien in the world? Do you reject gossip and degrading language? Are you patient and kind to others, even when you might be frustrated? Have you decided to let go of certain relationships that turn you from Jesus? Has your former pride become humility, selfishness become selflessness?
   Jesus summarized the alien life in the Sermon on the Mount. Some of those actions are listed in the beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-11. Aliens will be blessed when they desire to learn more of God, to mourn for their sins, to be meek, to partake of God’s righteousness, to be merciful, to be pure in heart, to be peacemakers and to be willing to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake. In this alien life, Jesus also tells us we will be the salt of the earth and
let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) Aliens in Jesus live active lives with Jesus.
          One more thing aliens do: they await the day he visits us. The world’s citizens have no hope, no expectation of the Christ to come again. But we do. Aliens know he will come, and we await his coming. That’s why we wait with an active alien life. The Spirit has set our lives apart from the world, so we can prepare the world for the Savior’s return.