We have heard endless bloviation from media types who have spent their entire journalistic careers in open hostility to Christianity suddenly pontificating about how un-Christian it is to build walls and restrict immigration to the United States. Why, we’re told, that’s not something Jesus would do! He himself was a refugee! How can you call yourself a Christian and not believe in letting anybody and everybody in? That’s what Jesus would do!
Now we know that people who think and talk like this are wrong. When Jesus came to Earth, he did not come as a refugee. He came as the rightful king, intent on reclaiming what had been stolen from him by the Prince of Darkness. When his parents took him to Egypt as a child, they didn’t go as refugees but as exiles who returned to their homeland as soon as they could. When his parents took him to Bethlehem, they didn’t go as refugees, they went as hard-working taxpayers doing their civic duty.
Biblically we know that there is a legitimate place for walls, for physical barriers designed for protection. God sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem to build one around the city to keep the bad guys out. We know that immigration bans under the right circumstances are appropriate, for God permanently banned immigration from the neighboring nations of Ammon and Moab because of their historic and implacable hostility to Israel.
But we know that building walls and using immigration restrictions are legitimate policies because Jesus will use them in his own kingdom.
(I am indebted to my good friend Jeff Reed for this idea, but don’t blame him for anything in what follows that you don’t like. That’s on me.)
The Scriptures tell us that the eternal city of his coming kingdom will be surrounded by “a great high wall with twelve gates” (Revelation 21:12), each guarded by an angel so undocumented intruders cannot enter.
Identification papers will be scrutinized carefully before anyone is allowed to enter through one of the great big beautiful doors that are built in this wall that surrounds the city. In John’s vision, “books were opened,” and “if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life” he was not only not admitted but “thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12; 15). Talk about extreme vetting and deportation.
http://www.afa.net/the-stand/bible/...lieve-in-immigration-restrictions-absolutely/
Now we know that people who think and talk like this are wrong. When Jesus came to Earth, he did not come as a refugee. He came as the rightful king, intent on reclaiming what had been stolen from him by the Prince of Darkness. When his parents took him to Egypt as a child, they didn’t go as refugees but as exiles who returned to their homeland as soon as they could. When his parents took him to Bethlehem, they didn’t go as refugees, they went as hard-working taxpayers doing their civic duty.
Biblically we know that there is a legitimate place for walls, for physical barriers designed for protection. God sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem to build one around the city to keep the bad guys out. We know that immigration bans under the right circumstances are appropriate, for God permanently banned immigration from the neighboring nations of Ammon and Moab because of their historic and implacable hostility to Israel.
But we know that building walls and using immigration restrictions are legitimate policies because Jesus will use them in his own kingdom.
(I am indebted to my good friend Jeff Reed for this idea, but don’t blame him for anything in what follows that you don’t like. That’s on me.)
The Scriptures tell us that the eternal city of his coming kingdom will be surrounded by “a great high wall with twelve gates” (Revelation 21:12), each guarded by an angel so undocumented intruders cannot enter.
Identification papers will be scrutinized carefully before anyone is allowed to enter through one of the great big beautiful doors that are built in this wall that surrounds the city. In John’s vision, “books were opened,” and “if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life” he was not only not admitted but “thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12; 15). Talk about extreme vetting and deportation.
http://www.afa.net/the-stand/bible/...lieve-in-immigration-restrictions-absolutely/
