Unless there is repentance and Jesus is our Lord, God’s promise of inclusion does not apply to us.

Inclusiveness has shot into prominence in recent days as a description of the gospel and the Church. It is a good word because it constantly reminds us that the gospel is for all, that Christ’s invitation extends around the world, and that people from all nations will be included in the kingdom of God.
It is no accident that at the birth of Jesus the presence of the wise men reminds us of the inclusiveness of the gospel.
But this good word is also abused. The Bible nowhere promises us an inclusiveness without judgment. In it we are summoned to moral and spiritual choice, with eternal conseq-uences. During the ministry of the Lord Jesus there were those who, like the rich young ruler, turned away when confronted with the cost of following Christ (Mk 10:17-22). This lead to the sharp words of the Lord Jesus: “How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God … it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” In the teaching of Jesus there are those who inherit the kingdom of God, and there are those who do not. It is Jesus who speaks of “the broad road that leads to destruction” (Matt 7:13).
The promise of the gospel is accompanied by a call to repentance. The fundamental act of repentance is to turn from self-rule to the rule of Jesus in our lives. Unless Jesus is the Lord and Master of our lives the promises of the gospel do not apply to us. Inclusiveness without repentance is not a gospel. Jesus certainly invited all ‘who are weary and burdened’ to find rest in him. But it was also an invitation to be yoked to him and learn from him (Matt 11:28,29).
The first aspect of repentance is our turning to Christ, but a repentance worthy of the name involves thorough re-ordering of our lives. We have to align our lives in accordance with his stated will as he has revealed it to us in the Bible. It was because the rich young ruler could not give up the worship of material possessions that he was unable to follow Christ. The rule of Jesus is not an abstract thing. It involves God dealing with us in a transforming way.
That is why confession of sin accompanied by repentance is an integral part of the spiritual life. I presume that, as Christians, we will engage in this habitually.
The Anglican Church makes full provision at the beginning of its services for the hearing of God’s call to repentance, the confession of our sins, and the declaration of forgiveness. This provision flows precisely from the gospel to which we are committed, and is not an optional part of our spiritual lives, whether personal or corporate.
In short, our inclusion in the inclusiveness of God demands repentance.