Originally Posted by hisalone
I don't know what you mean by "open", I agree with everything you say, but your "open" comment concerns me. How do we explain

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NASB
1 Cor. 14:23-25 If therefore the whole church should assemble together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all;25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.

The word "open" appeared first in the post I was replying to, and I mean it in opposition to inviting unrepentant sinners into the presence of God. I said it over and over again, in bold font, emphasizing the word unrepentant.

No unrepentant sinner can worship God, nor should any unrepentant sinner be invited into God's presence. It would be fatal to an unrepentant sinner, multiplying his guilt. It is the same principle as partaking of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner. An unrepentant sinner multiplies wrath against himself by taking the Supper - and the Lord's Name - in vain. Worship is uniquely Christian. It is therefore open only to Christians.

This is not to say that churches cannot or should not conduct evangelistic services and invite everyone to attend! But an evangelistic service is not the same as a Lord's Day worship service. An evangelistic service is intended to reach the unregenerate. A worship service is intended for the Lord's people. Worship is not to include "room" for haters of God (unrepentant sinners).

There is no assumption in the 1st Corinthians passage that unrepentant sinners enter the believers' gathering by invitation. And those who do enter a worship service need to be confronted with prophecy (which is "for believers" according to verse 22) rather than confused by the unedifying sign gift of tongues, which was "for unbelievers (verse 22)".

Yes, worship is for sinners! But not for unrepentant sinners. Not for the unregenerate. Not for the unbelieving, lest they "eat and drink condemnation to themselves (1st Corinthians 11:29)."

I hope that helps clarify what I mean... and perhaps I misapplied the use of the word "open" in the post I was replying to. shrug