Justice and Compassion in Immigration
Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv
**Voting with a Biblical Worldview – Part 5**
Sermon Introduction
This morning, we’re looking into a message titled “Justice and Compassion in Immigration.” It’s a topic that is highly relevant in today’s world and requires us, as followers of Christ, to balance compassion with justice in a way that reflects God’s heart.
To help us understand this balance, let me take you back to the story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a high official in the government of Persia when he received news that the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins. Without walls, the city was exposed and vulnerable to attack. Nehemiah’s heart was moved with compassion for his homeland, and he decided to take action. He traveled to Jerusalem and rallied the people.
Nehemiah 2:17 (ESV): "Then I said to them, 'You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.'"
Nehemiah faced opposition in rebuilding the wall, as some saw it as an act of exclusion. Yet, Nehemiah understood that without those walls, the people could not thrive. The walls represented safety, order, and the ability of the community to flourish. His compassion for his people was balanced with wisdom and an understanding of justice.
Psalm 82:3–4 (ESV): "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
God’s heart is to care for the vulnerable, but also to ensure that justice and protection are upheld. Compassion doesn’t mean ignoring justice – it means finding a way to care for others while maintaining integrity and security.
In this election season, as we consider issues like immigration and law, we face a similar challenge. How do we care for the vulnerable while also upholding the integrity of our laws and ensuring the security of our communities?
Proverbs 21:15 (ESV): "When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers."
Justice brings joy when it is done rightly, but it also deters those who would seek to exploit it. Nehemiah’s story gives us a powerful picture of how to balance compassion with justice. His heart broke for the vulnerable, but he didn’t allow his compassion to lead to chaos. Just like Nehemiah, we have the opportunity to rise up and take action that honors God, cares for the vulnerable, and maintains the order that allows communities to live safely.
Reflect God’s Compassion Toward the Foreigner
Leviticus 19:33–34 (ESV): "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."
God instructed Israel to treat immigrants with kindness, for they were once foreigners in Egypt. These verses highlight God’s inclusive heart and call His people to extend compassion to those who are vulnerable. As followers of Jesus, we also are called to treat all people, including immigrants, with dignity and respect.
Showing compassion also means following processes that ensure safety and order both for citizens and immigrants. We must support those who follow the lawful immigration path, showing God’s love to them while also respecting the structures that make peaceful coexistence possible.
Deuteronomy 10:18–19 (ESV): "He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt."
God’s compassion extends to all who are vulnerable – the fatherless, the widow, and the immigrant. God calls on us to love and provide for the needs of those among them who are outsiders. However, there is an expectation of mutual respect for the laws of the land.
As Christians, we must care for those who seek refuge, offering support for those who come in legally, while recognizing the importance of maintaining lawful order.
Ruth 1:16 (ESV): "But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.'"
Ruth, a Moabite, chose to align herself with the people of Israel and their God. She embraced not only Naomi but also the culture, laws, and faith of the land she sought to live in. Ruth serves as a model of someone willingly integrated into a new community. In the same way, immigrants should respect the laws of the culture and land they wish to join.
As a church, we can be both welcoming and clear that citizenship is a process that requires obedience to the law. We are to reflect God’s compassion for the immigrant.
Uphold Justice, Law, and Electoral Integrity as Ordained by God
Psalm 72:1–2 (ESV): "Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!"
This psalm is a prayer for the king to rule with God’s justice and righteousness. God’s design is for the government to rule with integrity, fairness, and compassion. It is crucial that our laws are applied justly to ensure that the responsibilities of citizenship, including the right to vote, are preserved for those who are lawful citizens.
Proverbs 16:11–12 (ESV): "A just balance and scales are the LORD’s; all the weights in the bag are his work. It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness."
God delights in honesty and fairness. When processes are manipulated, it brings injustice and dishonors God. Allowing individuals without legal rights to vote corrupts the balance of justice, just as using deceitful weights. Just as God demands fair scales, we must demand fair voting processes. This means ensuring that only legal citizens, identified by voter ID, have the right to vote.
Nehemiah 7:64 (ESV): "These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean."
Nehemiah took careful measures to ensure that only those legally entitled were given rights within the community. The biblical precedent is clear: proper verification and adherence to legal processes are necessary for maintaining justice and order. In the same way, our electoral system, as defined by our Constitution, must be protected from abuse. It is a matter of ensuring integrity – reflecting God’s justice.
Application
How can integrity in elections be maintained? The only way is through required voter ID to register and to vote. We require an ID to drive, to fly, and so on. Systems must be in place to ensure that only citizens vote and that the penalties, which are severe, for fraudulent voting are enforced.
We must use our vote for leaders, platforms, and policies that address immigration from a biblical worldview.
Balance Compassion with Wisdom and Discernment
Philippians 1:9 (ESV): "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment."
Our love for others must be accompanied by knowledge and discernment. Why? So that we can make decisions that reflect God’s righteousness. With immigration, we need wisdom and discernment to limit the number of immigrants and to only accept those who would be of benefit to our country.
Compassion without discernment can lead to lawlessness, while true love balances mercy with justice.
Proverbs 2:7–8 (ESV): "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints."
God provides wisdom and understanding, and He guards those who walk in integrity. As a church, we must seek God’s wisdom to understand the complexities of immigration. This wisdom will help us to support policies that protect our borders while also offering pathways to citizenship. These pathways are for those who are in genuine need and willing to respect the rule of law.
Nehemiah 4:9 (ESV): "And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night."
In rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah demonstrated both prayerful dependence on God and practical action for security. Just as Nehemiah set guards to protect the city, we too must take practical steps to ensure the safety of our nation. Compassion means that we care for others, but wisdom means we also protect what God has given us.
We must balance compassion with wisdom and discernment.
Application
Immigration currently is completely out of control. No one knows the exact numbers. In 2016, estimates of illegal immigrants were around 30,000 per month. In 2020, estimates were around 20,000 per month. At the beginning of 2024, estimates of illegal immigrants were around 300,000 per month.
The federal department, ICE, in charge of immigration, says that there are over 400,000 illegal immigrants in America with serious criminal convictions. Quite frankly, as these are illegals, how do we know anything about them, as they simply break through the border illegally?
Literally billions of dollars—our tax dollars—have been spent on these illegals over the past four years. What party do you think these illegals will vote for to continue getting free handouts? This influx is destroying our country and the many communities that they are being bussed or flown to at taxpayer expense.
Many reports indicate they are often being sent to swing states to fraudulently vote and influence the election. It must be stopped.
As believers, we must balance compassion with wisdom and discernment.
Conclusion
What can we do about the issue of immigration? First of all, we can pray, that God’s will would be done according to His Word. We must continue to pray for the upcoming election that, at both the federal and state level, leaders would be elected with a biblical worldview on immigration.
Secondly, as God opens doors, discuss these issues with others, in love. As believers, we are not against immigration, but it must be with compassion and justice. Encourage everyone to vote, regardless of their viewpoint.
When it comes to voting, remember that each ballot is more than a personal choice—it is an opportunity to stand for the principles that align with God’s Word. We are called to vote with a biblical worldview, prioritizing policies and leaders that reflect God’s heart. Our vote is a brick in the wall of our nation’s future. With each brick, we contribute to either the protection or the weakening of the moral fabric that upholds our nation.
May God help us and our nation find our hope in Him.
