The "essential characteristic"I was thinking about the role God's love plays in our salvation. It is the essential characteristic. It is coupled with the blood of Christ and combined the two (inseparable) ingredients equal salvation for all mankind. I thought about my 20+ years as a child of God (not that I am 20, I just spent the first 20 some deceived). In all that time, if I had been keeping score, I can tell you that "ACTS 2 and 38" is beating "JOHN 3 and 16" in a blowout. Why is that? Do we want to discount the love of God? Certainly not. We don't even need to "be careful" (in my opinion) about talking too much about the LOVE OF GOD. Afterall, God IS love. God's love is AGAPE. Man's love is PHILEO. The two both translate to "love" but one far exceeds the other. Knowing that God loves and how God loves is amazing. God demonstrated his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, he sent his Son to die in our place. (Romans 5 and 8). As a matter of fact, verses 6 - 11 (if you go and look at Roman's chapter 5) are very meaningful. I don't know who you were, before atonement. I don't know where you came from. Maybe you were a good person (like Cornelius) or maybe you were a righteous person (like Paul) or maybe you were a scoundrel (like so many of us). But wherever and whoever you were, just like me, you were separated from God. And in that place, he loved us (and continues to love) so much, that he made sure we have a way to salvation. Undoubtedly, God has revealed his plan of salvation. We must follow God's will in this, as in all things. But to know that the plan is founded on God's love not only helps us to accept it, but helps us to live in "fellowship with Jesus Christ". I think we need to live in a way where John 3 and 16 can catch up to Acts 2 and 38. Afterall, you cannot have salvation with one apart from the other. I love you. Mike If you must strive, strive for Jesus. | 
