It has been reported that tens of millions of people crossed the US border over the last few years without official authorization. Millions more are already in the country without the required documentation. With the force of governments and adept intelligence agencies, it is reasonable to say these people came across because they were allowed to cross the borders. The principalities, powers, and rulers allowed this to happen. Legitimately desperate people, as well as nefarious ones, took advantage of the opportunity to get into the country without following the stringent legal process.
Now the mass deportation of these illegal immigrants is in the news. With this level of scrutiny and widespread chatter, much must be happening in the spiritual realm. What should we learn?
Recently, I saw a short video clip of a woman handcuffed by ICE agents and ushered into the back of a wagon. Her husband pleaded for leniency, citing that their children were home waiting for them to return. His story—they left home for the immigration courts to make her case and sort out her papers. Her plea was denied, and the agents were there to take her away. It was a heart-wrenching story. My heart weeps for her and others in that position.
How did we get here? I wasn’t looking for a history lesson. I wanted to know why God was allowing this to happen.
THE ULTIMATE IMMIGRATION
I was reminded that although God can do anything and intervene at any time, the god of this world had been given power for now. Ironically, this family’s sad immigration story reminds us of the gospel—the good news. All who desire to be with Christ Jesus will get to be with Him. He is the One who gives citizenship to those who will accept it.
The ultimate immigration drama is fast approaching, when the sheep and goats will be separated, when those who want to be with Jesus will be allowed to do so. The place? Heaven on earth, with God living among His people, where there is no more sun or sea and no more tears or suffering. Many will try to get in based on their religious fervour and morality, but that will not be enough.
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matt 7:22-25
No one gets in but through Jesus. No amount of pleading, good work, or explanation will allow us to be close to the perfect God.
Some will consider this unfair, like we do now. They’ll argue that surely heaven has unlimited resources, so why not allow everyone in?
But it isn’t about fairness. And we really don’t want fairness either, for if God were to be fair, we’d all be in hell already. What we need are mercy and justice, and only Christ delivers both.
Christ is the Lawgiver, the one who created the world with laws—spiritual, physical, and moral. Our conscience testifies to His moral laws, and physics and other hard sciences uncover His physical laws. The Scriptures, His Holy Spirit, and all of creation testify to His spiritual laws.
His laws are meant to keep us safe, not to harm us. Christ is making His appeal to us right now. Let’s not ignore it.
THE CONDITIONS
In my opening clip, the woman enters the ICE wagon, but the space is restrictive and claustrophobic. Those vehicles weren’t made for regular people but for hardened criminals who require physical constraints. Just as hell was not created for humans, especially not the choir-singing, law-abiding, honest, and moral people, but for the devil and his angels.
Each person will follow their leader to their everlasting home.
And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the book…And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:11b, 15
The Way we get to be with the Creator matters; Jesus Christ is The Only Way. Many will cry and lament on the last day, pleading their case, but if we have our “papers”—the Holy Spirit—we need not worry; we won’t be denied entry and deported.
The Holy Spirit is the seal that allows us to stay in Heaven with our Creator. The Holy Spirit is our Birth and Naturalization Certificate, giving us the assurance of who we belong to and our rights and benefits of being a child of God.
Jennifer Layton Starns, a Jamaican, is a software consultants coach overseas and is author of the book, “The Two Kingdoms.”
