Preliminary Thoughts on a Christian Response to Illegal Immigration, Part 1

Introduction: I had a window of opportunity this week because of a special speaker who was going to teach the adult Sunday school class, so I decided to pursue a topic on which I have been meaning to write. It is my intention, from time to time, to address issues for which I must reach conclusions. (That way caring friends can identify my heresy before it gets out of hand.) The topic for today is that of illegal immigrants, and how Christians should view them. This is the first of what I hope will be a three part series, and should be the least controversial of the three.

Proposition: We ought to care for illegal immigrants because God is concerned for their souls.

This thought is more weighty than we may initially think. Let's look at it one more time: God, who is the almighty, all-knowing, eternal, everywhere-present Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign is concerned, to the extent that he radically intervened on their behalf through the life, death, and raising to life of His own unique and “beloved Son, in whom [He is] well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Specifically, He is concerned for their souls because the souls of men are eternal, and continue to exist—either in a place of eternal bliss in the presence of God, or eternal torment under the wrath of God—after the body becomes worn out and is laid to permanent rest in the ground.

Proof of God's concern for every individual is basic to the knowledge of most believers, and is clearly laid out in Scripture. Three aspects of that loving concern will be considered here. The first speaks of God’s desire to save anyone.

Aspect #1: God's saving love is universal.

Perhaps no verse in all the Bible is as well known as John 3:16, which states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Maybe the simple fact that this verse is so well known partly demonstrates God's love because it contains the essence of the saving gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3 and 4), which people must believe in order to be saved from the condemnation under which they already live (John 3:18). More than that, however, what an amazing kind of love this is! God was willing to give His own Son to suffer unimaginable physical pain as He was cruelly beaten until He was unrecognizable, after which He was savagely killed in the most gruesome manner that could be conceived. God was willing to suffer the infinite pain that both Father and Son experienced when He had to turn His back on His Son, Who, though sinless Himself, was bearing the sins of all people—a requirement for buying their salvation. What father would stand still and allow his son to endure such suffering? What father would turn his back on his son at the time of greatest need? Only a Father who knew the future, and was aware of “the joy that was set before” His Son when He succeeded in completing the trial (Hebrews 12:2). Only God, Who loved the world, and desired that everyone would have the opportunity to enjoy eternal life.

This incredible demonstration of love, this unthinkable sacrifice, was not reserved for any person, or any kind of person, but is freely offered to anyone who will believe. In fact, Jesus instructed His followers to bring the message of salvation to everyone (Matthew 28:19, 20) in all the world (Acts 1:8). We, who are Christians, however, misunderstand God's love and disobey His clear command. We somehow think that it is enough for us to realize that God loved us, and then we refuse to tell others about His love. We make excuses concerning the fact that they do not look like us, act like us, or sound like us, which brings us to the second aspect of God's loving concern for all. God desires to save anyone, regardless of his or her category.

Aspect #2: God's saving love is non-discriminatory.

The gospel is a great equalizer. This can clearly be seen in Galatians 3:28, which states, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Just as in the twenty-first century, first-century culture had its share of discrimination. Jews thought themselves to be better than everyone who was not a Jew. Slaves were thought to be less than human. Women were thought to be inferior to men. However, the arrival of the gospel changed all that. All who have believed in Christ for salvation are children of God. As such, they are equals before God, and God loves them equally. God loves men in the same way in which He loves women. He loves one ethnic group as much as He loves another. He values a slave as much as He values a master. People are people, regardless of their kind, and it would be wrong to withhold the saving message of the gospel from anyone. [Note: This should not be mistaken to think that God equips everyone equally for any responsibility once salvation happens. Different responsibilities were given to slaves than were given to their masters. Different roles were assigned to men than were assigned to women. However, God places the same value on all individuals—Christ died for all, and all may be equally saved.]

An argument could be made concerning illegal immigrants that it is not just their ethnicity that sets them apart. They are in this country illegally, and as such they are violating the law. Granted, their illegal status must be considered, (and will be considered in a Part II at some point), but the third aspect of God's loving concern reveals His desire to save anyone, regardless of their type of sin.

Aspect #3: God's saving love is unconditional.

Sometimes it seems as though believers look down on illegal immigrants as though they are the scum of the earth because of the fact that they are living in the United States of America illegally. That should not be. While it is true that they are sinning in that they are breaking the law, the fact remains that everyone is a sinner, and the gospel is powerful enough to rescue people from any sin. Notice how Paul addresses the topic of “vile” sins in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” If we were to stop reading there at the end of verse 10 things would look bleak for people who have engaged in such sins. However, the passage does not stop. Verse 11 shows the power of God's redeeming work in people's lives when it says, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” As we look at this list, we would find many of the sins much more repulsive than living in this country illegally, yet to God, one sin is the same as another (did you notice the sin of covetousness in the list?). God forgives any sin for anyone who trusts Him for salvation. The sins from which you and I were saved are no more sanitary than illegally living in a foreign country, or theft, or any other sin on the list. Neither should any sin disqualify anyone from hearing the gospel.

Well, my window of opportunity is now closed. I feel that I have rushed this first part, but the fact of the matter remains clear to me that God loves everyone, Jesus died for everyone, and everyone must hear the gospel. In part two (whenever the next window of opportunity opens) I will consider the believer’s responsibility toward illegal immigrants with regard to the U.S. government.