The Bible on Immigration

2018-02-03

There is a lot of talk about immigration in the United States, and the strong desire, even among professing Christians, to deport every illegal immigrant from the country. However, what does the Bible tell us?

Immigrants were Welcome in Old Testament Israel

Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 22:21)

And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. (Leviticus 19:33)

In the case of Leviticus 19:33, note that the second greatest command according to Jesus Christ is in the same chapter (Leviticus 19:18). The Bible makes it clear that if strangers, or foreigners, live in your country, that you should not give them a hard time. They must follow the laws of the land (Exodus 12:48-49), but it says nothing of deporting them or any such thing. This is the Bible talking, not fake conservatives that inhabit the world of talk radio.

Immigrants Are More Likely to Be Saved in America

There are a few examples of unsaved people who came to Israel only to get saved and then bring the message back to their own country. The Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) is an example of one. He came up to worship in Israel, and being one of influence in his own country, was able to go back home and be a testimony to Jesus Christ there. Another example is all the people who were at Jerusalem at Pentecost from all over the world (Acts 2:5-11). They also were able to go home and tell about everything they heard from the fledgling church of 120. Because of things like this, the Gospel exploded all the way across the map in a very short period. As a place where there is plenty of access to the Gospel, churches in this country should see immigration as an opportunity to get millions saved.

Conclusion

Welcoming immigrants into our country benefits the cause of the Gospel. First, the Bible tells us to welcome foreigners. Second, the Bible tells us that we can evangelize the world by telling foreigners about Jesus Christ. This is not a political issue; it is an issue of compassion and world evangelization.