Thinking Theologically about Immigration

Article from The Kindred Spirit- Alumni Magazine from Dallas Theological Seminary. Article written by By Dr. Alex Mandes Spring 2010 vol. 34, no. 1


Often politics and economics frame the immigration debate in North America. Yet Christ-followers must frame the topic of immigration by wider parameters—by two biblical mandates: the Great Commission and the Great Commandment..

Matthew 28:19–20 says to make disciples of all people—not legal people only, but all people. As Christ-followers our focus must shift from nationalism to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, from politics to the gospel, from winners and losers to how we can best glorify God.

We must never deny that illegal immigrants are breaking the law. Yet these immigrants’ law-breaking is no reason for the church to remain uninvolved in North America’s largest mission field today consisting of fifteen to eighteen million people, many of whom tremble in the shadows of our society. Civil law is written on soft paper and constantly evolves. God’s law was chiseled on stone tablets and has remained unchanged.

The eighteen million undocumented people living among us present both danger and opportunity. The danger lies only in the sense that the people are outside of the “system.” But we have an opportunity in terms of our mission. Many of these people are outside of their home countries, separated from their families, and outside of their own governments’ systems. They are prime for the gospel!

Many churches want to do something, but they wonder what they can do. And here’s where we need some reminders: it is legal to evangelize; it is legal to make disciples; and it is legal to be compassionate. What the law says is that it’s illegal for us to hire them. We also cannot provide false paperwork.

So how do we live out our biblical mandates?

• We must remember that immigrants were made in the image of God. That means in all our dealings we must treat them with dignity.

• We must keep in focus the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

• We must emulate Paul’s actions in the first century as we walk the fine line between compassion and execution of the law.

Paul’s epistle to Philemon mentions the runaway slave, Onesimus. Onesimus was out of his country and running from the law when he encountered the apostle Paul. Knowing the legal system, Paul could have turned him in immediately. Instead, Paul loved him, evangelized him, and discipled him. This probably happened over the course of months or even years. But as any disciple must be, Paul was also a person of obedience.

For that reason Paul ultimately sent Onesimus back to his master. Yet he did not return him empty-handed. He sent him with a letter that told Philemon to treat Onesimus as a brother and put his debt on Paul’s account. In other words Paul, rather than turning in Onesimus or staying aloof from him, stayed on mission. The result was fruit. And the ultimate result was obedience in all spheres—first to the gospel, then to compassion, then to civil law.

So what must the church do about contemporary illegal immigrants?

• Speak. Christian leaders must articulate that the commission and commandment apply even to these modern-day Samaritans.

• Pray. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers, and work for a legal resolution on the matter of immigration reform.

• Love. Show compassion. Mercy builds bridges to the gospel in ways words cannot.

• Serve. Volunteer to teach English as a second language. Serve as a life coach. Counsel the vulnerable.

• Share. Spread the gospel. Show the way to Christ. If God put immigrants in our paths, we have the privilege of sharing the message of salvation.

• Enjoy. Build relationships without worrying about the language barrier. Love is a universal language.

• Envision. Recognize that many illegal immigrants are demographically the future of North America. We have an opportunity for significant outreach in a time of need.

Within three to five years approximately eighteen million North American immigrants will probably come out of the shadows. Those who have shared in their pain have an opportunity to share in a harvest of souls in a magnitude never before seen.

Most evangelicals did not join with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his nonviolent opposition to racial injustice. Now many wish they had. The church today has an opportunity to show compassion, to be missional, to demonstrate obedience to the Great Commandment by reaching immigrants with love.

So here’s the question to ask ourselves about immigration: Will we think only politically or will we think missionally, eternally—like Paul? And ultimately like Jesus?


-Dr. Alejandro (Alex) Mandes (ThM, 1987; DMin, 2007) is the National Director of Hispanic Ministry and Gateway Theological Training of the Evangelical Free Church of America. He describes himself as “married with five Latina daughters.” To see the original article click here.

Coexist in Culture?

Jesus teaches us a powerful truth about how Christians are to co-exist in their culture with non-Christians when he teaches the Parable, "The Wheat and the Weeds

"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared."- Mt 13:24-25

What's interesting is that Jesus asserts that the weeds shouldn't be pulled out, rather he urges that both the good seed (wheat) and the bad seed (weeds) be left to grow together. Why?
Well because they would both die if they were pulled to early. The roots are still tender, so He urges the farmer to leave them till harvest. Jesus further explains the parable:

"The one who sowed the seed is the son of Man (Jesus) The field is the world (culture) and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom(Christians). The weeds are the sons of the evil one, (UnChristians) and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels." - Mt 13:37-39, (Parenthesis mine).

The main point Jesus is making, is that we are in world but not of the world. (Jn 17: 15-17). We are to learn how to Coexist in our culture, yet remain strong and pure until he returns! We are Wheat in the weeds and our job is not to pull out the weeds but to live among them!

3 Points should be considered here for the believer

Pilgrim Principle: This idea is that we have are to confront cultures evils and speak out against worldly wrongs, based upon our Biblical convictions. This principle is supported in Rom 12:2, "Do not conform to the patterns of the world" and is right, one should not conform to the world, yet we remain in the world at Jesus requests (John 17:15-16).

Ingeniousness Principle: The idea here is that the gospel message comes through the listeners own cultural lens of understanding, therefore the task of the Christian is to adapt, the message to fit culture, using language, symbols, sign and customs of the culture, so that the Gospel is clearly understood. Jesus did this continually in his teachings and Paul said, "Be all things, to all people"

In but Not of Principle: Jesus said it best, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:15-16). We are in the world—that’s the indigenous principle, yet, we are not of the world—that’s the pilgrim principle. For a more exhaustive look at this look at John Piper's Article

Again we must learn how to Coexist in our culture, yet remain strong and pure in our convictions, not compromising the gospel, but living in and around those that most need it!
We are Wheat in the weeds and our job is not to pull out the weeds but to live among them!

Missional Theology Rooted in the Godhead

A missional theology should be rooted to the Trinity. Mission is woven into the character and nature of God himself. Within the trinity, we see that God sent his son, (cf John 3:16). The Father and the son send the spirit, (cf. John 14, and Acts 2). Finally we see that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit send us his people to proclaim the message of the kingdom.

This kind of theological understanding of who God is and who we are as "sent people" should empower us to be missional minded. As Dr. Young (President of Denver Seminary) once said, "To have eternal life is to be a missional believer." This is a paraphrase of his statement but it's getting the point across that there is a mandate for all People, In all places, In all times! This is not only a NT reality found in the Great Comission (rf. Mt 28). but also a reality of the OT as well (rf. Isa 66).

Because the gospel is literally the power of life (cf. I Cor. 1). There is responsibility to share this message with others. Mission is the central expression of the Godhead. God sent the son,

In every city, and community around the world. We should see ourselves as the "sent people" of God no matter what field we are in. In Dallas or Dublin, we are missionaries, destined to declare and demonstrate God's righteousness to the world around us. This is missional Theology.

Why name the church Imago Dei?

The Image of God in Hebrew (צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים‎; tzelem elohim) literally means "image of God", this often appears in Latin as Imago Dei. We named our church Imago Dei Community Church to reflect our theological convictions. All people have an inherit value, for which all people are designed to behold and reflect God’s glory. Yet in man’s sin, the image of God has been “Defaced, but not Erased.” Therefore all people deserve dignity and respect.

Implications for the Church & Culture

#1 Encourages the church to love our culture: Imago Dei reflects a theological framework that encourages diversity within the relationships of church and our culture, regardless, ethnicity, economics, education, political or religious views etc. If all people are made in his image, then all people deserve dignity and respect, do they not?

#2 Educates believers of their covenant relationship: Understanding that we are made in God’s image and invited into a covenant relationship with Him through his son, teaches us that we have significant worth as his child, his creation, the church.

#3 Empowers the church to be about the kingdom: As stated in Gen 1:26, Man was created to rule, and reign, declaring and demonstrating His righteousness throughout the earth. Understanding ones identity and role will lead to fulfilling the churches mission, to expand the kingdom for all people, in all places at all times.

This is why we named the church Imago Dei Community Church.