The Immigrant Problem and Debate in America--What side should I choose?

As I was reading the Word of God this morning from Deuteronomy I was once again confronted (yesterday, I was confronted from Malachi—see my podcast below) from the Bible concerning the immigration debate we are having in America.  What side would the Bible have me to choose? Laying aside political parties and pragmatic issues for a moment, I want to ask—what does the Bible say to Christians today concerning the 11 million immigrants in America today?

In Deuteronomy 10 Moses is preaching to Israel. In his sermon text Moses reminds Israel that the LORD God of Israel executes justice for the orphan, widow and loves the resident foreigner, giving him food and clothing (v. 18). Then Moses commands every Israelite to love the resident foreigner because there was a day, in the not so distant past, when the Jew he was speaking to or his parents were resident foreigners in Egypt. A resident foreigner is an immigrant. The Jews migrated to Egypt because of a famine.

Now we can have the conversation concerning the reality that Israel did not enter Egypt illegally but instead received Pharaoh’s blessing to enter the land. However, the point of the text is not legal or illegal immigrant. The point of the text (Deut. 10:18) is God loves and cares for immigrants like he loves and cares for widows and orphans and so should I!

Consider the "One Another's" in the New Testament

There are over 50 specific references to doing something with 'one another' in the New Testament and nearly all of them relate to the church. (1 Corinthians 7:5 instructs husbands and wives not deprive one another of marital intimacy.) As you look at each one of these imperatives consider how obvious it is that Christ and His Apostles intended for Christians to be in a church, an assembly of believers, where each of these "one another's" can be lived out.

• Love one another (John 13:34, 15:12, 17, Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 4:9)
• Outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:16)
• Do not pass judgment on one another (Rom. 14:13)
• Live in harmony with one another (Rom. 15:5)
• Welcome one another (Rom. 15:7)
• Instruct one another (Rom. 15:14)
• Greet one another (Rom. 16:6, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Pet. 5:14)
• Wait for one another (1 Corinthians 11:33)
• Care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25)
• Comfort one another (2 Corinthians 13:11)
• Agree with one another (2 Cor. 13:11)
• Serve one another (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:10)
• Bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2)
• Be kind one to another (Eph. 4:32)
• Forgive one another (Eph. 4:32)
• Sing to one another (Eph. 5:19)
• Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21)
• Be honest with one another (Colossians 3:9)
• Admonish one another (Col. 3:16)
• Abound in love for one another (1 Thessalonians 3:12)
• Encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11, Heb. 10:25)
• Build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11)
• Do good to one another (1 Thess. 5:15)
• Increase in love one for another (2 Thessalonians 1:13)
• Exhort one another (Hebrews 3:13)
• Provoke one another to good works (Heb. 10:24)
• Do not speak evil against one another (James 4:11)
• Do not grumble against one another (Jam. 5:9)
• Confess sins one to another (Jam. 5:16)
• Pray for one another (Jam. 5:16)
• Love one another earnestly (1 Peter 1:22)
• Keep loving one another (1 Pet. 4:8)
• Show hospitality one to another (1 Pet. 4:9)
• Be humble one to another (1 Pet. 5:5)
• Love one another (1 John 3:11, 23, 4:7, 11; 2 John 5)

Christ Our Passover

1 Corinthians 5:7
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

The Passover is a Jewish holiday beginning on the 14th of Nisan [March/April], commemorating the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt, and memorializing the day the death Angel passed over (Exodus 12:23) every house that had blood from the paschal lamb applied to the doorposts and lintels [above the doorway] of the home (see Exodus 12).

How is Christ our Passover? How is the Jewish Passover a foreshadowing of Christ and the Lord’s Supper? The chart below seeks to compare and contrast the Passover (or paschal lamb) and the Lamb of God (Christ, our Passover) and the Passover (the meal established by Moses) and the Lord’s Supper (ordained by Christ).

To see the chart click the link below.

http://media.sermonaudio.com/articles/be-1181411244-1.PDF