Church membership: Right or privilege?

For many generation we have viewed this question with some personal agenda attached. "No one can stop me from joining" or "no one can ask me to leave." Why? On a person stand point, it is due to the fact that we have lost the severity of what it means to be a part of the local body of believers. When we looking the book of Acts 5, we see the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Based on their actions, the Holy Spirit dealt swiftly with them. The resulting reaction of the local body of believers is described the is way: "Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things." v.11
Those in the church were reminded of the severity of false counter-productive actions, and those outside the church understood the reality of what it meant to be a part of that company of believers. That it was no mere right to join but a privilege.
Where has that fear gone? I am not describing a natural fear, but rather a holy fear. A fear of a supernatural God. It is that lack of fear that drove those two love birds to lie to the Holy Spirit and it is the same lack of fear that causes us to forget that we have no right to access the church, but is a privilege granted to us.
In recent days I have had to be reminded of this. As pastors, we are faced with so many challenges that effect the body, both in a negative and in a positive. Part of the role is to be able to distinguish which is which. Sometimes we get right sometimes we don't. Never the less, we above all in the church should bare in mind the sound doctrine that it is a privilege not a right to access the body. For those who hold to this understanding find it being challenged.
But what do we say? Privilege or right?
Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 11:2, "For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband - to present a pure virgin to Christ." Paul is discribing how protective he is of that local body, but he goes on a describes how there are those that got in that are now distorting that purity. He even describes how they put up with it "splendidly!" Why? Because like us they forgot that membership was a privilege not a right.
This does two things: It opens the door for those "serpents" to come in because "who's going to say no?" It also cripples the ability or where with all to handle things that threaten the purity of the body. You see Paul says in 2 Cor. 11, purity above all. The church is the bride that will one day sit at the wedding table with a Holy God. I believe the question about how pure you believe the church should be, should answer the question: Right or privilege.
Now having said all that, I want to clarify. I have not nor will ever stand on the legalistic side of this issue. I believe emphatically that every person should have the right to hear the amazing gospel of Jesus Christ. I have proven this by inviting those that I know stand in open sin to come to church and church events. The point I wish to express is; does every person have the RIGHT to the intersactum of the body. Meaning direct membership. Do we let those wolves in sheep clothing, the serpents that Paul discribes become decision makers, do we just welcome them in and not make every effort to assure that they will uphold the value and integrity of the church. I say this; we can never know the heart, but I know that we can know the actions. Actions demonstrate the heart.
As an under-shepherd of Christ I too want to be able to present the bride as a pure virgin. I also want to know that I have done my best to protect those entrusted to me, while demonstrating how to reach the "unreachable." As a member of a body, it is also your duty and mandate to assure the same thing. Understanding the privilege it is to become a member of the body of CHRIST, should compel us to be pure and maintain that state. Jesus did not say everyone who wants to go to heaven will one day have the right to do so, in fact He said only those that come through the chosen way will, and that those who do are few. If the church does anything it should represent this principle. That only those who are willing to uphold Christ have access. I understand in light of generations and misconduct, this principle my seem harsh or even offensive, but the reality is, the church has become ineffective to the world, because it has not sought to maintain the image of Christ at all cost.
Conclusion: We should stand with open harms, as gentle as doves and as wise a serpents. The purity of the bride is at stake.