God Knows No Borders

I recently had a sweet friend ask me my thoughts regarding the refugee and immigration issues our country is currently involved in. My response? “Oooohhhh…… this is so complex, and I don’t even know where to begin. Give me some time to pray before I respond, please.” I did pray...and I did respond. Below is my response and I felt compelled to share it with you also. I do not involve myself with social media and online discourse and I feel hesitant to share, yet I sense others may benefit as well.
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When I consider the refugee situation, along with so many other socio-political “hot buttons,” I see three sides to the story. I see the activist right side leading (Christian and non), the activist left side (again,  

Christian and non) countering, and both through the eyes of God (as defined by His Word).
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Many activist right side supports newly instated immigration laws. Many left side activists abhor these same laws. Christians on the right express it is our duty to uphold the law and protect. Christians on the left expound we are to respond with love and extend. Both are accurate.

Hebrews 13:17 instructs us to, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

 So on the side of the right, there is justification for obeying the law, because of obedience to our leader, or President. We also see there is biblical protection (also safety) as they watch out for our souls.

In Matthew 22:37 – 39 Jesus commands, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 28:19 states, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations…" 

We see in Scripture the FIRST commandment is to LOVE THE LORD, and THEN love our neighbor and go. The left does have reasoning to empathize with our neighbors.

Matthew 25:34 – 40  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[f] you were doing it to me!’ 

The left-leaning Christian also has support to be open to feeding, giving drink, inviting the stranger, clothing, tending the sick, and freeing the captive.

​It’s the age-old conundrum – which is God? Is He both just and merciful? Is He more Love than Law? We’re experiencing today exactly what the church experienced centuries ago – the polarization of religious rules and free for all love and grace within the church body, both warranted by the Word. I am inclined to believe, one who truly does love the Lord with all their heart, soul and strength, will not only see that He is BOTH, but also be led by His Spirit in responding to hot topics in the political world, such as how to interact with immigrants or refugees, or a president.

Romans 8:2 – 4 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, Jesus, has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For that which was impossible to the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh 4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." 

Once we become a believer, we are called to live by the law of the spirit and leading of the Holy Spirit, who shares with us all we need to know, see John 14:26.

Matthew 7:21 – 23 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’"

Folks may think they are doing that which Jesus would do but actually miss the mark in their personal and unique lives because of their lack of submission to the Holy Spirit – leading to flesh-led activism, rather than Spirit-led obedience.

So when non-believers (both on the activist left and right) point fingers at what a believer “should do” with use of the Bible, lovingly dismiss it. There is no authority in the Scripture used, as they have yet to believe God is God and Jesus is the Savior of the world. Love THEM, but dismiss the accusation. For condemnation being received from left-ish and/or right-ish positions, encourage them to ask themselves (after you’ve first asked yourself), “Do you FIRST love the Lord Your God with all YOUR heart, soul, mind and strength? Do you know your position, remarks, and most importantly actions, are led by the Law of His Spirit in your life?

How does the combination of your love for the Lord and the leading of His Spirit in your life compel you to love others – refugees, immigrants, the widowed, the orphaned, the poor, the hungry, the naked, the imprisoned, the stranger, the murderer, terrorist, activist, fundamentalist, nonbeliever – the President?

​If we’re honestly asking ourselves this and praying for His love to lead and guide us by the law of His Spirit, we should know or soon discover where our position should be, and what He is compelling us to do about it. He may call us to give money, go on a mission to reach out, open our homes, or pursue a change in congress. OR, He may call us to equip those in our homes, community, or churches to respond. Regardless, both sides of Christianity are called to “Pray for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” - 1 Timothy 2:2

We are also cautioned, “…if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.”

So to answer her question, my thoughts are that each believer should seek God’s will through prayer and the Word and respond as His Spirit leads regarding the situation with the refugees and immigrant laws and every other hot topic in our global society. All while praying for our President, who is our leader, regardless of whether we wanted him there and agree with his statutes or not.