The book of Joshua chapter 1 verses 8 and 9..This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. But you will meditate on it both day and night. That you may observe to do all that is written within it. For then will your ways be prosperous and you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? To be strong and of good courage. And to not be afraid or dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go….This my friend is where it all began. God came down to meet a man named Moses on the mountain top. He gave him a set of commandments that the people who were to be called according to his name were to follow. And his promise was that he would be their God and they would be his people. But the promises were not given without stipulations. Obedience by the people to what God asks of them being the stipulation. Laws are for the lawless. Rarely does a law abiding citizen find themselves on the wrong side of the law. And should this occur an apology is generally enough to wash away any penalties that may have been applicable.

So many times during the New Testaments writings about Jesus. After he had interactions with individuals who needed deliverance or healing. He said to them.. go your way and sin no more. And so it is that sin is nothing more and nothing less than what we would call a criminal act in the natural realm. If you sin you have broken the law. Compare it if you will to any other natural crime that is committed. The punishment is usually commensurate with the crime. And if it is  a somewhat petty offense. You may get off relatively easy. That is to say if its the first go round. But if you are seen to have not learned your lesson. And you commit more offenses. The penalties for your actions become greater. But in the kingdom of heaven… sin is sin. The Book of Romans chapter 3 verse 23…For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

And so in this one scripture alone. And there are many others. God levels the playing field for all of humanity. All of us are guilty as charged. And for those of you who will persist in thinking that you are not a sinner. The old he or she is a good person rap. In First John chapter 1 verses 9 and 10 we read as follows…If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But if we  say that we have not sinned. We make God out to be a liar. And his word is not in us….Now I don’t know about you. And frankly you probably don’t even care. But as for myself. I don’t ever want to position myself as calling God a liar. All that God has ever asked of man is be responsible and culpable for his or her own actions. This is what the act of repentance is all about. It is a self realization and confession… that on has done something wrong. And they know it. But it doesn’t end there. The individual must then have the self desire to right the wrong if possible. Or at the very least have the willingness to not do the same  anymore.

My personal belief about the majority of the immigrants who enter into our country. Is that they are coming here because they know that we have laws which are enforced. And that they can at the very least live in a relatively protected and lawful society. Something that many cannot do in their own country. The problem begins with their breaking of the very laws by which they hope to become protected by… in coming here by illegal means. For some this is nothing more than a vicious cycle of sin in their lives which needs to be broken. They are perpetual lawbreakers in their own societies to one degree or another. And this carries over into their entry into our own country. Sin knows no boundaries. It is prevalent in all of mankind. In the Central American country that my wife comes from. People are actually prisoners within certain communities. There is such widespread corruption and crime… both in and out of the government. That people have to… for their own safety. Avoid certain areas and peoples all together for their own  well being. My wife by the way…did everything in the proper and legal format. In order to become a U.S. citizen long ago. So it can and is done all the time. Don’t buy into this nonsense that severe border vetting is not necessary. The vetting process that our own government officials go through to achieve public office. Is at the very least as vigorous if not more so. We want immigrants. We don’t want criminals or those who mean us harm….To be continued