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Borders & the biblical worldview

Borders & the biblical worldview

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Borders & the biblical worldview

National identity is not a sin; it is a feature of the world God made.

Jenna Ellis
Jenna Ellis

Jenna Ellis served as the senior legal adviser and personal counsel to the 45th president of the United States. She hosts "Jenna Ellis in the Morning" weekday mornings on American Family Radio, as well as the podcast "On Demand with Jenna Ellis," providing valuable commentary on the issues of the day from both a biblical and constitutional perspective. She is the author of "The Legal Basis for a Moral Constitution."

In today's debate over immigration, especially among Christians, we often find two competing instincts: a call to compassion and a commitment to law and order. Unfortunately, many voices pit these against one another – as if love for the sojourner requires the erosion of national sovereignty. But a faithful reading of Scripture affirms both. The biblical worldview doesn't abandon borders; it establishes them. And it doesn't ignore the vulnerable; it uplifts them – within a framework of justice, order, and shared responsibility.

The Bible is not silent on the question of nations or immigrants. Acts 17:26 teaches that God Himself "made from one man every nation of mankind … having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place." In other words, nations and borders are not arbitrary human inventions or inherently oppressive structures – they are part of God's sovereign design. National identity is not a sin; it is a feature of the world God made.

Likewise, Romans 13 affirms the role of government in upholding justice and maintaining order. Governments exist to reward good and punish evil. This includes the enforcement of lawful immigration policies. The state has not only the right but the responsibility to protect its citizens, defend its borders, and ensure that those who enter do so under just and orderly procedures.

But Scripture also reminds us – especially in the Old Testament – not to harden our hearts to the sojourner. In passages like Leviticus 19:33–34 and Exodus 22:21, God commanded Israel to love the foreigner and treat him justly. These weren't suggestions – they were divine mandates rooted in Israel's own history as once-strangers in Egypt. The foreigner is not a threat to be feared, but a neighbor to be loved.

Yet this biblical hospitality came with expectations. Sojourners in ancient Israel were to abide by the laws of the land (Exodus 12:49) and respect the moral and religious identity of the covenant people. Compassion never came at the expense of righteousness, and inclusion never demanded cultural relativism. Welcoming the stranger did not mean forsaking the nation's character – it meant extending justice while preserving order.

This framework offers a clear biblical approach for modern immigration debates: nations have the right to define and defend their borders, and immigrants should be treated with dignity, fairness, and love. These are not contradictory ideas – they are two sides of the same biblical coin. Christians should support policies that reflect this balance: strong but fair enforcement of immigration laws, and a system that protects the vulnerable without enabling chaos.

Moreover, the Church must remember that while nations are temporary, the Kingdom of God is eternal. In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free – we are one body. But spiritual unity does not erase national distinctions; it transcends them. As Revelation 21 reminds us, the nations still exist in glory, bringing their honor into the New Jerusalem. God's final vision is not a borderless utopia, but a world of distinct peoples reconciled under Christ.

The biblical call, then, is clear: advocate for compassionate sovereignty. Defend the dignity of humanity. Uphold the integrity of nations. And reject the false choice between security and mercy.

Because in God's economy, we are called to do both.

Notice: This column is printed with permission. Opinion pieces published by AFN.net are the sole responsibility of the article's author(s), or of the person(s) or organization(s) quoted therein, and do not necessarily represent those of the staff or management of, or advertisers who support the American Family News Network, AFN.net, our parent organization or its other affiliates.

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