Hello Tony,

Thank you for your response and prayer for me.

I suspect I may have Jewish heritage but was not raised Jewish. I grew up Catholic but renounced Roman Catholicism after my born again conversion in 1982. My friend was adopted but also suspects Jewish heritage. Not that heritage matters, but it would explain a lot of things. We have both been influenced by many varieties of Christianity, including Messianic Judaism and the Hebraic perspective. One reason he cites for his apostasy is the myriad of doctrines and dogmas in Christianity. He asks why God has not preserved the “true religion” but has allowed fragmentation into so many denominations that all claim to have the right understanding of the Bible.

You will probably say that God DID preserve the true religion, Baptist. Yet how many varieties of Baptist are there? And Dispensationalism originated with Darby not that long ago from what I understand. Even fundamentalist dispensationalists are split in their views. Why is there so much confusion?

I have no religious affiliation at present. I call myself a Bible believer. I am an ugly duckling looking for the swan pond and not finding it. I am not a Calvinist, nor an Arminian. I subscribe to no particular brand of systematic theology. I am not a hyperdispensationalist because I cannot accept that more than ¾ of the Bible is “not my mail” including the very words of the LORD Jesus Christ. I have read through the KJV Bible every year for over 20 years with the Bible Pathway devotional guide. I have no aversion to the commandments of God but delight in making application of them and keeping them as far as I am able. Paul himself referred to the Ten Commandments in his epistles. The Jerusalem Council expected that Gentiles would hear Moses on Sabbath at the synagogue and gradually learn the ways of God. I do not keep commandments in order to be saved. I keep them BECAUSE I am saved. I have always had full assurance of my salvation. When I inadvertently sin, broken fellowship brings me back to repentance and renewed fellowship with God which I delight in. The book of Hebrews tells me that walking in unrepentant, willful sin is a very dangerous place to be, thus I “fear God” and “don’t go there.” I don’t know if my friend is walking in willful sin. I believe he is deceived, disillusioned, and hurting because of circumstances in his life. But I ask once again, does an Evolution-believing, Dawkins/Dennett/Shermer-fan Atheist go to Heaven if he once very sincerely "accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior" as a 13 year old? Or is he not really saved to begin with?

Paul talked about Gentiles being grafted in to the Olive Tree and having citizenship in the Commonwealth of Israel. I feel as if I am a part of Israel and long to live in the Land of Israel in the Millennial Kingdom. I expect to go through the Tribulation.

I do not wish to cause problems here or debate dispensationalism but you asked for a response. I realize that I am in the minority with my views and I want to be respectful. I am grateful to be here to glean what I can to help my friend believe that we DO have the preserved Word of God, without proven error. This is the main reason for his departure he says, that there is no perfect Word of God and there should be. This is such a crucial issue in so many lives. There are more than 800 Atheist bloggers out there. I have dialogued with a few that are very nice, formerly very dedicated believers who are reacting against religious abuses and cognitive dissonance rather than against the true and living God in my opinion. They call themselves “reluctant atheists.” Quite a mission field for those who care about the disillusioned.

Shalom,

Tandi