Illegal immigration has become a major topic in the United States, with many Christians holding the viewpoint that the Lord is alright with immigrants ignoring the laws written by Congress and entering the country against governmental law. This article will compare this topic to Jesus’ heavenly country (the Kingdom of Heaven) to help understand the Lord’s viewpoint on the issue.
Illegal immigration has become a major topic in the United States, with many Christians holding the viewpoint that the Lord is alright with migrants ignoring the laws written by Congress and entering the country against the law. This article will compare this topic to Jesus’ heavenly country (the Kingdom of Heaven) to help understand the Lord’s viewpoint on the issue.
The Kingdom of Heaven
To determine how the Lord views illegal immigration, we must use scripture to establish His views on entering His own Kingdom. Does the Lord allow anyone to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven however and whenever they want to without completing His requirements? Some leaders teach that God loves everyone so much that He would never allow people to go to Hell. Unfortunately this false doctrine of universalism has infiltrated the church. Even if certain pastors don’t refer to themselves as Universalists, they have embraced a universalist theology without even knowing it.
The Lord is a God of love, but He has a requirement that must be followed to gain access to the Kingdom of Heaven forever. The Father has established a law that anyone must follow in order to live in the heavenly country of the Kingdom of Heaven. That law is Jesus Christ. No one can come to the Father and His Heavenly Kingdom without being born again and knowing Jesus Christ. Jesus is the requirement and the law that must be followed.
God has a large border wall around His Kingdom so that no one can come in unless they follow His law, rule, and requirement. The Lord does not allow illegal immigrants in His heavenly country. Anyone who desires to enter the Kingdom must have a passport stamped with the blood of Jesus. No one can enter the Kingdom of God “their own way” or however they want to. There is only one Way that we can enter the Kingdom. Everyone who attempts to enter the Kingdom of Heaven their own way (illegal entry) will never make it past the walls to dwell in the heavenly country.
Is Jesus a hypocrite? Would He tell us to do something that He doesn’t do Himself? Would Jesus tell us to allow people into our country in violation of immigration laws when He doesn’t allow people into Heaven if they are in violation of His immigration law?
Jesus led by example in the Gospels, meaning He didn’t tell people to do what He doesn’t do Himself. It would contradict Jesus’ revealed character in the scriptures if we take a viewpoint that He is alright with people violating the immigration laws of a nation when we know that He will not allow illegal immigrants to venture into the Kingdom of Heaven. Christianity is not about people “doing what is right in their own eyes” or making our own laws and requirements. Real Christianity is about following Christ and keeping His commandments (John 15:10). Those believers who do not abide in His love by obeying His commands drift from Christ into their own theology and delusions. These are the branches that wither and eventually burn in hellfire, never making it into the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” (John 15:4-6 NRSVUE)
Outcasts from the Kingdom
Scripture teaches us what Jesus does to illegal aliens who presume they can enter the Kingdom of Heaven without following God’s law:
“Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.” (Matthew 22:1-2 NRSVUE)
““But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”” (Matthew 22:11-14 NRSVUE)
A man presumed that he could live however he wanted and still enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He did not have on clean white garments, which indicate the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19). The King of Heaven deported the foreigner from His heavenly nation because the foreigner did not follow the law set forth by the King. Apparently Jesus does not teach universalism or pervert the love of God like many pastors in America do. There is a requirement or condition to abiding in God’s love forever in His Kingdom. That requirement is to have Jesus living in you and to abide in Him. When we abide in Him, He transforms us inwardly, we are changed into His image, and He bears much fruit through us as He lives through us.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Revelation 22:14-15 NRSVUE)
Apparently the Lord does have gates to His Kingdom to prevent illegal entry from anyone who does not have the proper documentation. Only citizens of the Heavenly City will be allowed to enter.
One Way to Heaven
There is only one way to legally immigrate into the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” (John 3:3, 5 NRSVUE)
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NRSVUE)
Jesus' immigration laws are much stricter than the U.S.'s because the penalty for violating them is eternal hell. Which is worse, being deported to your country of origin or being deported into eternal torment and suffering? There is only one way to immigrate to Heaven, and those who attempt to enter illegally by their own way will suffer in torment forever.
Self-Deception
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.” (Matthew 7:21-23 NRSVUE)
Many people who refer to themselves as believers (who call Jesus Lord) will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven because of a mindset of embracing lawlessness. These “believers” are self-deceived because they think that they can embrace “lawless” ideologies that contradict scripture and that the Lord is alright with their way of thinking. These believers do spiritual things such as preach or talk about the Lord, but they don’t really know Him. They teach their own ideas that contradict scripture. The main way to identify these so-called believers is that they embrace “lawlessness.”
Some of these self-deceived Christians may not be currently practicing lawlessness, but if they are embracing it, justifying it, and teaching it; then they are workers of iniquity and lawlessness who are doing much damage to the body of Christ. We know that teachers, pastors, and leaders will be judged more strictly. How will the Lord judge those who spread lawless doctrines into His body like gangrene?
So many in our days are teaching and developing doctrine according to human love and compassion instead of God’s true love and compassion. They do this because they don’t know the love of God but project their version of love on God. These teachers have learned about Him, but they haven't been with Him in the secret place to the degree where they can say they know Him inwardly. The Lord’s word is not abiding in them, so they twist who He is to fit their own version of God’s love. The end result is the promotion of lawlessness even by inaction or lack of preaching and teaching on the subject. If they allow lawlessness in their ministry, then they are partakers.
Oppressing Foreigners
Many believers will bring up Old Testament scriptures regarding current immigration-related issues in the United States.
“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the native-born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34 NRSVUE)
It is important for us to understand that during that time period, there were not any immigration laws that were instituted by the state of Israel. Therefore, it was not unlawful for a foreigner to enter the land and dwell in it. However, we are now living in a different time. Nations have created laws regarding immigration and travel. If I were to illegally enter China, for example, I would face jail time if arrested. I have to obey the laws that governments have established. If I choose to disregard governmental laws, then I should be prepared for the consequences of my actions.
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Romans 13:1-2 NRSVUE)
There are two types of aliens, illegal and legal. Obviously we follow the scripture above, and we do not oppress aliens or foreigners who are in the United States legally. However, those who are in the United States illegally have disregarded our laws and become a law unto themselves, which is lawlessness. The scriptures are very clear regarding the Lord’s opinion of lawlessness, which is sin. If we allow sin and lawlessness, then we have departed from the truth and God's revealed will in the scriptures.
If foreigners are crossing into the United States en masse, all while dishonoring our laws, they are in fact oppressing the citizens of the U.S. Is it right that we have to follow the laws of the land but illegal aliens don’t have to? Is it right that I have to work hard to provide for my family and pay for our health care, and illegal aliens want and get free health care that I, the taxpayer, pay for? So I have to work and pay for illegal aliens while they can scam off of the government. This is an example of aliens or foreigners oppressing the American people, which is unrighteous in the eyes of God.
Illegal aliens are not being oppressed when they are deported from a country. The law is being carried out. If we are sinning for deporting illegal aliens from the U.S., then Jesus would be in sin for deporting illegal aliens from Heaven and into Hell (because they did not meet the requirement of His law). Even God does not allow illegal aliens to enter His heavenly country. Only the spiritually blind cannot see that. The universalists operating in human love want God to let everyone into His heavenly country on their own terms, just as they want everyone who thinks they have the right to enter the U.S. to do so regardless of the laws.
A nation that does not have laws and borders is no longer a nation. As we can see from the scriptures, the Kingdom of Heaven has laws and borders. No one will pass into the Kingdom unless they follow God’s way. People don’t get into God’s Kingdom because they are poor and “deserve to” or because they are being treated unfairly and need help. Many poor people and those who have had terribly hard lives will go to Hell. No one is entitled to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and no one deserves it. Christ is the only way, and billions around the world are currently on the wide path to eternal destruction, because Christ is not in them.
So why wouldn’t Jesus be “more loving” to people and allow them into His Kingdom because they are poor or being treated badly by their government? Why is Jesus “oppressing foreigners” by not allowing everyone to come into His kingdom who wants in by their own way and according to their own terms? The same believers and leaders who are criticizing those who support established immigration laws are judging Jesus for enforcing His immigration law without even understanding it.
You can’t have it both ways. Either it’s wrong to have laws and borders, or it’s righteous to have laws and borders. The United States has laws and borders just as the Kingdom of Heaven has them. Believers who teach it’s wrong or evil to have immigration laws are essentially saying that it’s wrong for the Lord to have laws and gates that can keep people out of Heaven. These people may never actually say this, but their own belief system reveals the reality of their contradicting theology. The truth in the word of God demonstrates that laws, borders, and gates are godly, and God in fact uses them to deny access.
Globalist Agenda
The antichrist spirit is at work in the nations to create chaos, confusion, and lawlessness. The antichrist spirit, spoken of by John the apostle, is currently working to set the stage for the man of sin himself. The antichrist will attempt to rule the world as shown in the book of Revelation, chapters 13 and 17. The antichrist spirit desires the nations to be weakened and in disorder so he can take control more easily.
One of the enemies’ strategies to accomplish this is to flood the United States with illegal immigrants and destroy the fabric of the country. Open borders create lawlessness such as crime, illegal drug use, and sex trafficking, which are all antichrist in nature. Lawlessness destroys a country and causes the true love of God in the hearts of believers to grow cold. This is happening to many now, and a false human love is arising in their hearts which masquerades as the love of God. Many are deceived by this humanistic antichrist love.
The antichrist spirit is doing the same in Europe. It is promoting human compassion and labeling it as the love of God. Muslim migrants have been pouring into Europe and changing the demographics of countries. Christ is being kicked out of nations while Islam is spreading. Women are being treated like objects, and many young girls have been attacked or sexually assaulted by Muslim men. Is that the love of God or the spreading of lawlessness?
I wonder what believers or leaders (who argue for illegal immigration) would think if an illegal alien kidnapped their child and raped them? There are currently hundreds of thousands of criminal aliens in the country illegally who have the potential of harming someone you love or performing lawless acts like burglarizing your home. These people are not here legally and should never have the opportunity to harm American citizens.
Maybe the only reason that believers promoting illegal immigration haven't been victims of criminal activity from illegal aliens is because a law enforcement officer arrested a criminal and a judge deported them from the country, thus saving someone’s life (the crime never occurred because of the arrest and deportation). Some believers judge law enforcement officers with unrighteous judgement while the law enforcement officer is doing their duty to protect the American people. Sad times have come to America when some believers and pastors are calling law enforcement evil and calling illegal aliens good.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20 NRSVUE)
Conclusion
I am concerned for some believers who are denying the reality of God and his word and embracing liberal ideology that does not line up with the scriptures. As a disciple of Jesus, I will choose to follow my Master and His teaching. Jesus reveals to us boundaries, laws, and protocol in order to enter His country legally. I will surely look to the Lord and His word as my example over the humanistic opinions and theologies of man.
“The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)
