Hi Gerry, I am sorry for not responding to your earlier posts and the posts of others. As I said early on, I’m not very good at expressing my thoughts. It takes a long time to say what I want to say and this topic just kind of exploded. I think your first question about the text of Heb. 6 was why I think they are Christians to begin with.<br><br>Well, for one reason, that is how I was taught scripture. (I will most likely post my testimony of salvation in the near future so you will better understand where I am coming from.) It always amazes me when I encounter different theologies, how strongly people hold to what they are taught and frankly that scares me. Not just to be scared for them that they might be wrong which I think is a natural and legitimate concern that we have for each other, but for myself, that I might be wrong.<br><br>In my heart of hearts I am very confident and secure in my theology. I study the scriptures, and make every effort to work out my own salvation. All the pieces from Genesis to Revelation fit together (most all of them anyway) and it fits my world view so that I have the perception of knowing who I am, where I came from and where all this is going. That is what I strive for daily, and to know Him who is TRUTH. I do my homework.<br><br>When I have done all that, how can I be so different from someone else who is perhaps just as diligent or more so? How can there be so many different theologies? Maybe the differences are smaller than they seem in the big picture, or maybe they are not. I have honestly tried to fit myself into other forms of doctrine. I seriously look at Seventh Day Adventists. They are not stupid people. They are honest. They believe they have found truth in their doctrine but I can’t do it. We have entered into spiritual rest and every day is the same. That is what I was taught. I can’t change.<br><br>I can’t accept someone else’s eschatology. I try to understand the verses the way they do but I can never answer all the objections that come to mind so that their interpretation looks better than what I was taught.<br><br>I’m trying, but I can’t get my brain around limited atonement which is what I’m focusing now. It is hard to express every detail that seems objectionable on a message board. I’m finding some confusion of terms which is always a major obstacle. I haven’t quite figured out the way ‘regeneration’ is used here. You seem to think that OT saints were regenerated. I don’t see how that is possible. Perhaps the most difficult part is the very low esteem that is held about Arminianism here. It is quite shocking.<br><br>I have always accepted man’s total free will as a fundamental part of our being. God placed Adam in the Garden with the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil so he had the power of choice. He made the wrong choice, but afterwards repented and served God. His nature was corrupted and his propensity to choose good was diminished but not lost. <br><br>For some reason no matter how many different ways I try to look at different theological ideas there is only the one I was taught that seems right. I would like to find something that I could comfortably change about the way I believe just to know that I could. The only thing is important is to know the Savior and know Him better and better. For that I give up all.<br><br>I appreciate all the responses. I am reading them and trying to consider them.<br>
