By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #74 ~
Immigration has been a huge subject in our country for quite a while now. But don’t worry, this is not a political post. I’m not going to talk about coyotes, MS-13 gangs, drug smugglers, children, human trafficking, a wall, and tell you what I think the government should do. As you know, people get way too heated, hung up, and emotionally embroiled in policy debates. I’m not saying we don’t need some good answers with regards to immigration. We do. But as Christians we need to have perspective, be calm, and stay focused on the work God wants us to do. “Do business until I come back.” Luke 19:13
Remember, you are a heavenly citizen, and are not to be worldly, but are to set your mind on things above, not on things earthly and temporary. The most important issue is not whether a person is legal or illegal in this country. It’s not what is physically happening on our border, but what is spiritually taking place in a person’s heart. The thing that matters most is that a person can be born again and enter into the kingdom of God, can cross the spiritual border and pass from death to life. John 3:1-8, John 3:16, John 5:24
So how is a person born again? How is a person forgiven of his or her sins? What is the port of entry? How does one enter a “better country”, the heavenly country? In John 10:7-9, Jesus tells us, “I say to you, I am the door of the sheep… if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved,” meaning saved from sin, death and hell. This is very good news! This is what we really need to be talking about! Our #1 problem is sin and the only answer is Jesus Christ. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6
Why Jesus Christ? Because either you forever pay for your own sins, or you believe Jesus did it for you when He died on the cross 2000 years ago. All you need to do is repent of your sins, and by faith, receive the provision of forgiveness offered to you by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not at all by your “good works”, but by what Christ did for you. If you have not yet turned to Christ, and trusted in Him alone for mercy, then now’s the time. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31
But you still wonder and worry about our porous southern border. Okay, let me share some spiritual truths to help you know how God wants you to think about this:
1. Faith. You need to trust God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” Know that God is sovereign, that He is in charge of this whole situation, and is working things out for all the people involved, both immigrants and citizens, both now and in the future. I think of a related story, the Islamification of most of Europe, a much bigger immigration problem than what we have here. Don’t you think God knows what He’s doing over there? This too, relates to having faith in Him and in His end-time purposes, and in particular, that He is presently remaking and realigning those countries. (Daniel 2:36-45). But no matter what happens in the years ahead, whether in this country or around the world, you need to be still, to trust God, and know that He “works all things after the counsel of His will.” Ephesians 1:9-11
2. Hope. “He was looking for the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God… But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:10, 16). The main message of Hebrews 11 is hope, faith in God for the future, for the saints of old were desiring and looking forward to a better country. This heavenly country they were longing for, and that we ought to long for, is infinitely better than the United States ever was or ever will be. As Christians, “we are strangers and exiles on earth” (Hebrews 11:13). Our real hope, and what we can be certain of, is that we will be in our heavenly home some day (John 14:1-3). Let’s pray for all people, including those wanting to come to this country, that God saves their souls, and gives them true hope, a deep longing to be with Jesus in a heavenly home. Hebrews 12:22-24, 1 Peter 1:3-5
3. Love. Your primary purpose in life is to love God and people. It’s not to persuade people with regards to political issues. Whether it’s people in your family, at work, or on the border, you need to see their souls, not their age, their sex, their skin color, their nationality, or their political party. People are distressed, discouraged, and hurting inside, and God wants you to have compassion on them, knowing their greatest need is forgiveness, is being a child of God, is having a heavenly Father. When I hear of close to 300 children crossing the border per day, then it makes sense that we pray for their safety, welfare, and salvation. “Do not hinder the children from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
Faith, hope and love. That’s it. 1. Faith – trust God for this whole immigration problem. Pray for His kingdom to come, for people to be saved, and to enter into the “better country.” 2. Hope – look forward to being with Jesus and with one another in your heavenly home. 3. Love – have a heart of compassion, forgiveness and kindness for everyone, both saved and lost, people here and people there. This is how you will make a real difference in peoples’ lives, be blessed forever, and give glory to God. Psalm 104:47-48
P.S. This post, in essence, is about the gospel, the most important message of all. Two other posts that also talk about this saving message of Christ are “The Resurrection and Rapture of the Believers,” and “The Most Important Thing for You.”