What is right:a preacher who refused to let a sinner into his church,or the sinner who came into his church?
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Hello Patty, Welcome to Crossmap Community. Hope you are having a good time here!
Church is a spiritual hospital not a monument for the righteous. It should have more than open arms to welcome and embrace people that are from all ethnic backgrounds and all races. Despite whatever past a person may have it is the responsibility of a Church to welcome everyone and offer the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Sadly, there are many churches today that show their cold faces to people that are needy and try to protect their status, self-image and self righteousness and reject people who need love.
But despite churches as this exist , God wants and tries his best to extend his arms of love through various means to the people who are in need of love and forgiveness.
I am saved by grace alone!
God bless!
Church is not a spiritual hospital. I can see why and where that idea would come from, but it is something that changed only recently in history, and it is not what was meant for the Christian church.
Church is supposed to be a gathering of the “saints” as the Bible calls us, or those who have been saved. Certainly we are to receive those who are interested in the Bible, in our Lord and Savior. But that does not mean open arms to anyone, including those who insist on continuing their lives of sin (meaning swimming in it, not occasionally falling down and having to repent and get back up as all Christians do) with absolute refusal to walk the walk.
The problem today with most Christian churches is their arms embrace the world. They are to embrace the Crucified Christ and His amazing work that saves us! Then we are to share that with ALL people (yes, I said all) in an evangelistic way. Those who come to Christ should then be accepted by any church that they wish as long as they agree with the doctrinal statement set before them. It does not mean they must agree with all doctrines: it means they understand these doctrines will be taught in the church they wish to go to and that they accept that those doctrines will be taught.
It’s only fair to a prospective church member to be HONEST about what a church accepts and what it does not. If you cannot accept the church’s rules, find another. And if they cannot accept you, ask them to be specific about why.
I agree and disagree @Sunami_Carpenter
Church is a gathering of saints - yes. But one becomes a saint/righteous by faith in Jesus Christ through grace alone. (Romans 3:22) So the ones who are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ come together as one to make a Church.
But when these saints who became saints by the blood of Jesus come together, they have a responsibility to forgive and open their arms to people who are broken and are seeking Jesus (wanting to become believers).
This does not mean the church should be naive enough to accept the ways of the world. There should be balance. While the church can accept sinners, it should be careful not to let the sin inside. In the same way, they should not be cold in maintaining their righteous image to kick out or despise the new believers. There should be a balance.
And secondly when one receives salvation, the status of the person changes from being a slave(to sin) to son (of God) but the state of the person needs the process of sanctification to be cleansed fully. (Romans 7:14-25)
In this way church is still a gathering of sinners continuing to help each other in overcoming sin through the word and through fellowship. (James 5:16)
Thank you 
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Trying to figure out your question and try to answer it. It seems to me, at surface glance, that they both did right, or they both did wrong or any number of other endings.
Your illustration does not say why the preacher refused to let “a” (meaning a specific) sinner into his church, and it does not say whether the sinner, when he or she came into the church, repented and believed or not. Was open to the message or not. Was rebellious or not with what evidence of coming faith or repentance. In other words: why did the sinner in your question come into this church.
With all of that information and more missing, it’s hard to tell. Maybe you can edit it? (I haven’t checked that out yet) In order to give the detail you want so we can see more fully the situation. That of course, does not mean you share names or places.
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It depends on the context. If you share more about an event related to this there can be a clear answer to this question.
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