I see where you are coming from, JPC sr, but Marie is actually correct when you really evaluate the action one must take. Yes God Loves mankind totally and is not willing that anyone should perish. (2 Peter 3:9)
But, because mankind became separated from God through Satan's deception, man has inherited a fallen and sinful state of being and is in need of reconciliation with God. Thus, the way to be reconciled with God is to accept the Offer of Salvation that can only come through the Atoning Blood of Christ. Remember that the Holy Bible states that you cannot reconcile yourself with God just by doing "good works" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
In other words, no person can pay the price and do the works that it takes to gain Salvation because Jesus' Atonement has already taken care of that.
HOWEVER, the individual needs to
1.) Admit that he/she, by their own lifestyle and/or actions have transgressed the Laws of God and is presently not living for God;
2.) Be willing to change Repent from the things that keep them separated from God by what the Bible calls sin;
3.) Trust in your heart that Jesus was in fact The Son of God who shed His Blood to pay for any and all of your transgressions against God; and,
4.) Ask for and Invite God's Forgiveness into your life through the Only Sanctioned Way that God has provided; the Atoning Blood of Christ.
Remember, JPC sr, how you have stated that one must take action? That's the way it is with the Free Gift of Salvation that God offers to everyone. It's not yours until you take the willful action to be willing to change (repent) and accept God's Forgiveness in the only way He Sanctions and that is believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is The Son of God and that His Atoning Blood is the only way for the remission of all your sin.
Many people do not believe in the Deity and Lordship of Jesus, thus, by rejecting Him they reject the Free Gift of Salvation that they had been offered.
John 3:
17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20: For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21: But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
I agree that "Starman" and his link left out repentance and I find that most Churches leave out repentance too.
