What should be the Christian’s response to or interaction with illegal immigrants? While Christians have the religious obligation to obey the laws of the land in which they live (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:17)—except when the law of God and the laws of men directly contradict each other (Acts 5:29), Christianity does not have a political preference. The harsh, iron-fisted Roman Empire dominated the Mediterranean world of the first century when the epistles of Romans and 1 Peter were penned. Primarily, the Gospel of Christ is about human redemption—not politics.
Whenever and wherever a Christian encounters a non-Christian, his first obligation is to acquaint him or her with the Gospel of Christ, whereby he or she has the opportunity to become a citizen of heaven itself. Subsequently, in the course of teaching beyond redemption, one will eventually teach such passages as Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:17, too.
The activism characteristic of either side of an immigration issue is not the focus of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remotely similar, perhaps, the apostle Paul noted that a first century runaway slave had been converted to Christianity during the absence from his master. Nevertheless, he was directed to return to his master (Philemon 10-19). Teach one the Gospel of Christ, and then teach him to do what is right, even if we personally disapprove of the legal circumstances, which themselves do not directly conflict with the Gospel of Christ.
