The second series our church did in 2024 was titled “Exiles,” and this series took us through the book of 1 Peter. This song emerged from that series and from my personal study of 1 Peter. If I had to summarize the book in a few words, it would be this: Peter reminds us that when we are saved through faith in Christ, we are promised that we will inherit eternal life with Him and begin to live a transformed life of obedience, even in the midst of persecution and trials. People around us will notice this transformation through our actions and our love. The first line of the song wastes no time in getting to this core message of the book.
My friends don’t get the way I act anymore
There’s something different, I’ve been changed at the core
First Peter 4:2-3 describes the kind of life lived by those who share the same attitude as Christ: “You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols” (see also 1 Peter 1:13-15; 2:1-2, 9-12; 3:8-9; 4:7-11). This kind of transformed life will surprise your old friends.
They think I’m crazy, that I’ve made a mistake
I told them I’ve been saved in Jesus’ mighty Name
“Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you” (1 Peter 4:4 NLT). They might think you’re crazy because of the changes you’ve made in your life, but this can often be an opportunity to tell them about your salvation through faith in Jesus’ name. Peter reminds us to be prepared for this in 1 Peter 3:15: “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” For me, a core part of this transformed life comes from understanding my true identity, and this is where the bridge of this verse takes us.
I am cleansed by Your blood
Your Spirit’s made me new
I know who I am
And I belong to You
“God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace” (1 Peter 1:2 NLT). God, the creator of the whole universe, has chosen us and called us His children, and we will get to experience a new life with Him forever (see also 1 Peter 1:18-23 and 2:9-10). This is amazing news! Along with reminding us that we are born again into a new life with Christ, Peter also reminds us that we are here as “temporary residents” on this earth, so the chorus picks up on this theme.
This world is not my home
I’ve got a better place to go
This world is not my home
There’s something more I’m living for
I’m living for more
I’m living for more
“Dear friends, I warn you as ’temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world” (1 Peter 2:11-12 NLT). Our transformed lives are not merely a call to follow a set of rules. Rather, we are to represent Christ as ambassadors of His kingdom (see also 1 Peter 1:17; 3:16). Ultimately, we will get to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus through the lavish kindness of God (see 1 Peter 5:10). To be with Him and represent Him is what our lives are about.
While we know who we are in Christ and how we ought to live as exiles and foreigners in this world, that doesn’t mean that life here on earth will be easy. Peter reminds us over and over that we will face trials in this life, but these trials are testing our faith (1 Peter 1:7) and they are a part of God’s grace for us (1 Peter 5:12).
These days on earth are not a piece of cake
With all these trials that are trying my faith
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT). See also 1 Peter 2:20-25; 3:14, 17-18; 4:1, 12-19; 5:9-10. In every chapter of this book, Peter reminds us that suffering is part of the Christian life, but he also reminds us that Christ suffered as well and overcame. He reminds us to have the same attitude as Christ through our sufferings and hold on to our faith in Him because Jesus will never fail us.
I hold on to Your promises that never fade
They’ll keep me going till I see You face to face
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV). Through Christ, we have been given the promise of eternal life and an inheritance in heaven that will never fade. So even through our suffering, Peter reminds us that we should continue to trust in God because He will never fail us. “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19 NLT). Knowing that He will never fail us gives us the strength to keep going until He comes back and reveals himself to the whole world (1 Peter 1:7-9). While we go through trials and wait for what God has promised us, Peter also reminds us to imitate Jesus and show His love through it all.
So in all I go through
Help me love like You do
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8 NLT). Just as Peter talks about suffering throughout the book, he also talks about demonstrating love in the midst of it all throughout this book—see 1 Peter 1:22; 2:9; 3:8; 4:8; 5:14. As we point the world to the light of Christ through the way that we live and love, even the world will give glory and honor to God.
I’ll let the world see Your light
And we’ll give glory to You
“Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world” (1 Peter 2:12 NLT). See also 1 Peter 4:10-11. Everything we do as believers should bring glory to our God and point the world to Him so that they too can see and experience His mercy and love. My prayer is that we are able to live in obedience to God and love others in such a way that the world takes notice and comes to also know and glorify Him.
Complete Lyrics
Stanza 1:
My friends don’t get the way I act anymore
There’s something different, I’ve been changed at the core
Oh oh oh
They think I’m crazy, that I’ve made a mistake
I told them I’ve been saved in Jesus’ mighty Name
Bridge 1:
I am cleansed by Your blood
Your Spirit’s made me new
I know who I am
That I belong to You
Chorus:
This world is not my home
I’ve got a better place to go
This world is not my home
There’s something more I’m living for
I’m living for more
I’m living for more
Stanza 2:
These days on earth are not a piece of cake
With all these trials that are trying my faith
I hold on
To Your promises that never fade
They’ll keep me going till I see You face to face
Bridge 2:
So in all I go through
Help me love like You do
I’ll let the world see Your light
And we’ll give glory to You
Chorus:
This world is not my home
I’ve got a better place to go
This world is not my home
There’s something more I’m living for
I’m living for more
I’m living for more
I’m living for You