Defining Grace

In light of some recent study on the actual meaning of grace, I have reconsidered a position I have held for the last couple of years. Those of you who know me are well aware that on the issue of immigration I have always held that the borders must be better secured, their should be no amnesty granted, and that any path to citizenship for illegal immigrants must take into account those who are already in the citizenship process and allow for those people who are here legally to have precedence. I still believe that the borders need to be secured but on the other two I have some modifications.

Contrary to the opinion of the modern-day humanist, America is a Christian nation and therefore we should understand grace, but we don’t. We have an egalitarian, democratic view of what grace is; we think that grace is earned. Now of course, most professing Christians would tell you that the definition of grace prohibits it from being earned, but we do not act that way; if one person receives grace from another, everyone else thinks they are entitled to the same. It is this type of thinking that led me to the view that we cannot simply provide amnesty for those illegal immigrants that are presently inside our borders: If we grant it to them now, we’ll have to continue to give it to anyone that manages to get across the border. But that is not true. America should show the rest of the world what the true definition of grace is and grant amnesty to all illegal immigrants that currently reside inside our borders as well as those who are currently on the legal path to citizenship. After a background check and some paperwork, they will be made citizens. Then we say that from this point forward, anyone caught as an illegal immigrant will be immediately deported or prosecuted for breaking immigration laws. As Christians, we understand that grace motivates. These people who have received unmerited grace will be more inclined to blend into American society as citizens as the United States of America.

I know that this plan would require a lot more refining but the principle is that we have received unmerited grace from our Father and why should we not reciprocate. I know it does not sound fair and that people will say, “It is not fair to those who have been in the citizenship process legally to have illegal immigrants suddenly brought to an equal level.” I would refer those people to Mathew 20:1-16, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. As a sovereign nation, it is our option, perceived as fair or not.