Spiritual Borders

A Biblical Analysis of Immigration, Hospitality and Cultural Integrity in the West

Introduction: The Crisis of Boundaries in a Collapsing West

Over the last three to four decades, what we know as Western civilisation has experienced a profound transformation through policies of free-movement immigration. Driven by secular humanism, globalism and post-colonial guilt, Western governments have opened their borders to millions from nations whose cultural, religious and ethical foundations diverge sharply from the Judeo-Christian heritage of the West. 

There is, of course, nothing intrinsically wrong about migration. Key biblical heroes migrated – Abraham, Elijah, David, and of course Mary and Joseph with the young Jesus. And  Scripture clearly mandates hospitality and love toward the stranger. Nonetheless, the uncritical embrace of all peoples, all cultures and all values has resulted in spiritual compromise, cultural disintegration and even violent upheaval in some Western cities.

The West, undoubtedly, has varied in its commitment to Christ and biblical values, yet the effect that its predominantly Christian faith has had upon it has been profound, and has shaped all aspects of society for the better throughout the centuries. Mass immigration, however, is threatening this to its core. 

This article offers a prophetically charged examination of the issue through the lens of Scripture, drawing particularly on the Hebraic understanding of covenantal purity, national identity and the divine council worldview. It weighs the biblical imperative of hospitality against the scriptural mandates for holiness, discernment and spiritual separation. 

Nonetheless, the uncritical embrace of all peoples, all cultures and all values has resulted in spiritual compromise, cultural disintegration and even violent upheaval in some Western cities.

It also examines how modern policies reflect the influence of anti-biblical spiritual powers described in the unseen realm (Ps 82, Dan 10) and how Jesus’ admonition not to cast pearls before swine (Matt 7:6) applies to today’s cultural and spiritual crisis. This expansive, but not all-encompassing, study aims to provide a theological, prophetic and practical framework for engaging with immigration in our time.

1. The Biblical Imperative for Hospitality: Welcoming the Stranger

Scripture commands Israel and, by extension, believers today to care for the stranger and sojourner:

“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 YHWH your God.” (Lev 19:34, ESV)

This call to hospitality is rooted in divine compassion. Abraham himself entertained strangers who turned out to be angels (Gen 18), and the Torah repeatedly emphasises care for the vulnerable, especially the foreigner, the widow and the orphan. The rationale behind these commands lies in Israel’s own history as an oppressed and displaced people.

Jesus reiterates this in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matt 25:35b, ESV)

Hospitality, in the biblical worldview, is not a superficial politeness. It is a deep spiritual virtue, a reflection of God’s grace towards humanity. Welcoming the stranger, when done in covenantal awareness, can become a powerful testimony of God’s mercy.

... biblical hospitality is never indiscriminate or permissive of evil.

However, biblical hospitality is never indiscriminate or permissive of evil. It is not an endorsement of lawlessness, nor is it a command to accept every ideology, behaviour or belief into the covenant community. Biblical hospitality had boundaries. It existed within the protective framework of YHWH’s Torah, never in rebellion against it.

2. Hospitality with Holiness: Guarding the Camp

Ancient Israel’s hospitality never compromised her holiness. Foreigners could join Israel but had to submit to the Torah:

“There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” (Ex 12:49, ESV)

The idea that there could be ‘dual legal systems’ or that foreigners could maintain their native customs, especially when they conflicted with God’s commands, was foreign to biblical thinking. Foreigners who entered Israel had to leave behind foreign gods and practices. This is seen clearly in the Passover celebration, which only those circumcised and in covenant could partake in (Ex 12:48).

The Torah consistently forbids syncretism:

“You shall not worship YHWH your God in that way, for every abominable thing that YHWH hates they have done for their gods.” (Deut 12:31, ESV)

By contrast, today’s immigration policies promote pluralism over assimilation. The result is that immigrant populations often retain, and even seek to enforce, their original worldviews, many of which are rooted in anti-Christ systems (Islam, secular Marxism, animism). This is not biblical hospitality; it is a dismantling of cultural covenant.

While there was openness to foreigners, it was always conditional upon their full acceptance of YHWH and His ways.

In ancient Israel, holiness meant separation from practices that defiled the people of God. While there was openness to foreigners, it was always conditional upon their full acceptance of YHWH and His ways. There was no room for dual loyalties. By failing to apply this principle, Western civilisation has invited confusion, disorder and a loss of spiritual identity.

3. The Spiritual Conflict Behind the Political Arena

Modern immigration policies cannot be understood apart from the spiritual reality described in Psalm 82 and Daniel 10. 

“God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment...” (Ps 82:1, ESV)
And: “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days...” (Dan 10:13a, ESV)

Whilst others may have differing interpretations, I would assert that these “princes” are not human rulers but rebellious members of the divine council assigned to the nations after Babel (Dead Sea Scrolls and LXX readings). These beings influence earthly powers and ideologies. The aggressive, uncritical promotion of immigration policies that undermine Judeo-Christian values reflects the activity of these unseen powers.

The nations of the West have been handed over to these gods as judgment for abandoning the true God.

The nations of the West have been handed over to these gods as judgment for abandoning the true God (Rom 1:24-32). As these fallen powers spread confusion, deception and rebellion, they use governmental systems to erode the spiritual boundaries that once guarded the people of God. This includes weakening the Church’s prophetic voice, distorting the meaning of love and erasing distinctions between good and evil.

Western governments, having rejected God’s laws, have become agents of anti-biblical ideologies. The consequence is not only social unrest but spiritual defilement. We are witnessing a re-enactment of the pattern in Judges, where Israel’s failure to drive out the nations led to covenantal corruption and divine discipline:

“They did not drive out the Canaanites... so the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites... and they took their daughters to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.” (Judges 3:5-6, ESV)

4. Jesus and the Limits of Grace: Pearls, Dogs, and Swine

Many, if not the majority of, modern Christians often imagine Jesus as endlessly inclusive. Yet Jesus Himself sets clear boundaries for kingdom truth:

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” (Matt 7:6, ESV)

In the context of the Sermon on the Mount, this warning highlights the importance of discernment. The “pearls” represent the sacred truths of the kingdom. The “dogs and swine” symbolise those who are hostile, contemptuous or spiritually incapable of appreciating what is holy.

Israel was not an ethnic club, but a covenantal society.

To indiscriminately offer covenantal blessings and societal privileges to those who reject the values of the Kingdom is to violate this principle. It results not only in defilement but in backlash: “lest they turn and attack you.” This is exactly what is happening in parts of Europe where open immigration policies have led to violent opposition to local values.

5. Israel’s Model of National Identity: Inclusion with Conditions

Israel was not an ethnic club, but a covenantal society. Gentiles could join but had to conform. Ruth the Moabitess is the prime example:

“Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16, ESV)

Contrast this with today’s multiculturalist ethos that encourages immigrants to retain their own gods and values. This is not biblical inclusion, it is Babel revisited. In Genesis 11, God scattered the nations to prevent a united rebellion against Him. Today, Western civilisation is actively rebuilding Babel by merging every tongue, tribe and god into a single post-Christian cauldron.

6. The Failure of the Church and the Rise of False Compassion

A major factor in this crisis is the Church’s abdication of prophetic responsibility. Rather than proclaim God’s standards, many churches have embraced a humanitarian gospel devoid of holiness or truth. Compassion without discernment has become a false virtue.

“For they have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” (Jer 6:14, ESV)

The fruit of these policies is visible: soaring crime, demographic upheaval, cultural collapse and moral confusion. But the deeper issue is spiritual defilement.

God’s love is never separated from His holiness. To welcome the stranger while allowing him to pollute the sanctuary is to repeat the sin of Eli’s sons, welcoming corruption in the name of tolerance.

7. The Fruit of Compromise: A Prophetic Warning

The fruit of these policies is visible: soaring crime, demographic upheaval, cultural collapse and moral confusion. But the deeper issue is spiritual defilement. The West has allowed foreign gods through its gates.

“They have set their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it.” (Jer 7:30, ESV)

Unless there is repentance, the Western nations will follow Israel’s pattern of judgment:

“Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity.” (Ezek 8:18, ESV)

The only hope is a return to biblical fidelity, where love is married to truth, and mercy is joined to holiness.

8. Life Application: How Should Believers Respond Today?

a.    Practise Discerned Hospitality: Welcome the immigrant personally but test the spirit culturally. Do not confuse politeness with partnership. Love people, but do not endorse anti-Christ worldviews.
b.    Protect Spiritual Boundaries: Just as Nehemiah set guards on the gates of Jerusalem (Neh 7:3), churches and communities must be spiritually vigilant. Do not allow cultural infiltration that dilutes gospel truth.
c.    Engage in Prophetic Intercession: The battle is ultimately spiritual. Intercede for your nation and confront the territorial spirits influencing your government.
d.    Promote Covenantal Assimilation: Call immigrants not only to adapt to Western laws but to embrace the God of Scripture. Evangelism must be central, not just charity.
e.    Reject False Compassion: Not all mercy is godly. Biblical love never affirms rebellion. Beware the emotional manipulation of the media and progressive Christianity.
f.    Prepare for Persecution: If the West continues down this path, true believers will increasingly become exiles in their own land. But take heart, God always preserves a remnant.

“But the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” (Dan 11:32b, ESV)

Conclusion: A Call to Watchfulness and Courage

The immigration crisis is not just a political or economic issue, it is a spiritual test. Will the Church rise with prophetic clarity and biblical courage? Or will she continue to appease the gods of the nations in the name of compassion?

The times demand more than kindness, they demand consecration. May we, like Ezra and Nehemiah, rebuild the walls, renew the covenant, and restore the fear of YHWH in our land.

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps 11:3, ESV)

We can stand.                                                             We can speak.                                                             
We can pray.                                                               We can guard the gates.

Hazak Hazak v’nit Hazek