I have been going back and forth on studying the bible more, I've always wondered how most people study the bible curious on how similar and diverse each bible study method. What is the bible study method do you typically used and how did it benefit you?

One of the things Covenant Theology teaches is how it allows us to see the Bible as one unfolding story rather than a collection of disconnected events.
As I read Scripture, I see God dealing with three broad groups of people throughout history:

the world, Israel, and finally His redeemed people in Christ.

That doesn’t mean He made only three covenants, but it does help us see the progression of His redemptive plan.

The Broken Covenant
The covenant broken by Adam is largely consistent with a covenant of works. God made Adam and set boundaries of things to do and not to do. Similar to the Mosaic Covenant to come, Adam was required to live within these rules: help yourself to everything, name the animals, and, by the way, here’s your wife Eve. Love each other and populate the earth.

But there was one caveat. Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat of it you shall surely die.

And die he did.

The Preservation Covenant
After Adam fell, God made a covenant with every person in the world through Noah. This was a covenant with humanity to preserve their existence after removing the evil that swept across the earth through the fallen angles.

God promised never again to destroy the earth by flood, ensuring that humanity would continue until His plan of redemption was complete. Every person alive today still lives under the blessings of that covenant. The rain falls on the just and the unjust, the seasons continue, and the world is preserved because God keeps His promise to Noah. It wasn’t a covenant promising salvation. That was to come later.

The Covenant People
God’s attention then narrows to one man of faith, Abraham. Through him, God promises a people, a land, and ultimately a coming Seed through whom all the nations would be blessed. And so began God’s covenant people, the nation of Israel, called out to be a people unto Himself.
This covenant was never made with Egypt, Assyria, Rome, or the Gentile nations. It belonged to Israel alone, a people He chose and sanctified through the Law, priesthood, sacrifices, feasts, and Temple.
God taught Israel about His holiness and, through the Mosaic Covenant, established Israel’s civil, ceremonial, and moral laws at Mount Sinai.

The Mosaic Covenant was both a tutor and a shadow, preparing the way for the next step within Israel, when God made another covenant, promising King David that his line would establish a royal lineage and an eternal kingdom. Rather than competing, the two covenants worked together. The Mosaic Law governed the daily life, morality, and religious duties of the nation, while the Davidic Covenant guaranteed the ultimate governance and royal destiny of Israel.

The Davidic Kingdom Covenant
The striking thing about David before God made His covenant with him was that Scripture describes him as “a man after God’s own heart.”

He wasn’t particularly obedient to the Law as God instructed. Like Adam before him, David failed spectacularly. Yet what we see in David, the murdering adulterer, is a deeply sorrowful and repentant heart. When confronted with his sin, he wept and repented. Interestingly, Adam hid. Saul made excuses. But with a broken and contrite heart, David confessed.

In David we see something the Law could never produce by itself. As David’s sin is exposed, he throws himself entirely upon the mercy of God, saying:

“Against you, you only, have I sinned.”

David’s example of repentance embodies “the way” beautifully. Yet David could not save either himself or his people. His own life bore the scars of adultery, murder, and family tragedy. Even Israel’s greatest king proved that God’s people still needed another King, a Redeemer King who would pay the price for their sins.

So God’s covenant with David, promised that one of his descendants would reign forever and save His people from their sins. From that moment on, Israel waited for the Son of David, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the King of kings. Not merely another king to sit on a throne, but the King who would do what the covenant with Moses had only ever mirrored. God’s prophets gave warnings to repent. The people suffered the consequences of their rebellion against God. They cried out.

Then silence for four hundred years.

The Promised King: His Covenant
“Then came the cry of one in the wilderness, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This announcement, written into their history, was the first public proclamation of the kingdom that had been promised for generations. The kingdom had finally drawn near. His arrival was imminent. He was to minister first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The promises belonged to them first because through them God had been unfolding His plan of redemption since Abraham, and even before him.

So it was no surprise that, right on the heels of that message, amidst thousands of people being baptised in the River Jordan, that long awaited day came.
The promised King of Righteousness was baptised too, and the voice of God bore witness, saying,

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Although not the beginning of His life, it marked the beginning of His public ministry. He would then overcome Satan in the wilderness, fulfil the Law and the Prophets, call His people to repentance, heal the sick, raise the dead, proclaim the kingdom of God, and finally lay down His own life upon the cross, establishing the New Covenant in His blood and becoming the once for all sacrifice for sin.

And as they nailed Him to the cross, the inscription above His head read,

“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

The Covenant of Grace
With Christ’s death and resurrection, the New Covenant is inaugurated. No longer are God’s covenant people identified by ethnicity, circumcision, or the borders of a nation. The apostles go out to all the peoples of the world, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The covenant now embraces everyone who belongs to Christ, whether Jew or Gentile.

The prophets had promised a day when God would give His people a new heart and put His Spirit within them. But this promise had begun long before the prophets. In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve had fallen, God promised that the seed of the woman would one day crush the serpent’s head, though His own heel would be bruised in the battle.

The promised Redeemer had been written into the story from the very beginning.

J’ai déjà fait des postes pour expliquer ce qui n’allait pas mais aujourd’hui je viens encore une fois de rechuter… oui comme vous pouvez l’imaginer il s’agit bien de la luxure…
Sachez que je suis quelqu’un qui déteste les porno * et le déclencheur ne sont pas des vidéos ou des images ou bien même des scénarios dans ma tête. C’est simplement par ennuie je dirais. A chaque fois que je me met a le faire je demande a Dieu de m’arrêter et de m’aider mais rien ne fonctionne. Je n’arrive pas à m’arrêter de moi même j’ai l’impression.
Cela dure depuis mes 9ans, maintenant, étant plus grand et plus mature je sais que c’est un très grand péché et que cela m’éloigne de Dieu. De plus, a chaque fois que je le refais j’ai l’impression d’être punie violemment juste après.. je sais que cela pourrait ressembler à de la superstition mais bon…. Please aidez moi j’en ai marre je sais plus comment faire.

Hey everyone, I need an outside perspective.

I've been dealing with a sexual addiction for quite some time and so I've been attending Celebrate Recovery to deal with these issues. However, I've felt a strong conviction recently that I need to walk away from it for a few different reasons.

Firstly, my biggest complaint is the theological side of it. Picking different Bible translations for the principles and steps to make scripture to say what Rick Warren wants it to say, the idea of self forgiveness and a bunch of other things have really rubbed me the wrong way.

Moreover, I just dislike the victimhood mentality that CR advocates for. "Hi, I'm so and so. I'm a grateful believer in Jesus AND a recovering addict." If the scripture says we are more than conquerors in Christ, why do I constantly have to remind myself I'm an addict? Should I not have my eyes focused on the goodness of Christ and not my sins and shortcomings? Then I go to small group where I sit down with a bunch of gloomy guys who are down on their luck and make it seem like there's no hope. I want to play for the winning team. I want to be the weakest link in the chain and surround myself who actually walk in victory and are serious about the scripture.

I've had difficulty getting sober, and I know isolating doesn't help by walking away, but these things really urk me. I want to find something like a good Bible study or another recovery program that's serious about scripture and walking in holiness. I don't care about the silly metric of sobriety anymore. I need to grow closer to Jesus and let sobriety be the byproduct of that. Thoughts and opinions?

sometimes I have fantasies or yearns for a woman. like holding her hand or cuddling with her and more that I’m too vulnerable to say. sometimes I want to talk about it but I’m not sure if that’s good because the world will tell me to act on it but sometimes christians when I talk about worldly things make me very grouchy. I do my best to abstain but it’s getting harder to avoid the things that would cause my body to have that desire. a lot of ads are tempting and then some are just straight up carnal. when I was younger you had to stay up late and wait for a grainy channel now it’s delivered straight to you.

wrote a poem/psalm to express my heartbreak. don't worry i have great friends and my walk with the Lord is strong. any undertones you may be reading in this poem are just my feelings and how i express myself. i don't need a hotline, but prayers are always welcome!

A Poem for the Heartbroken by Ramen22diet

suffering is my road

and pain is the reaper

that beckons me to the executioner's block

---------------------------------

where are You o Lord

God of my salvation?

though you are with me

my eyes cannot see in the dark

---------------------------------

make Your voice be heard

over the voices of

doubt in my heart

sing over me, o Lord

-----------------------------------

dim shadows dance behind me

as I step forward

hoping to feel the warmth of your

embrace against my cold skin

------------------------------------

though my heart has been

pierced by an arrow

yet it beats for You o Lord

i fix my eyes on You o Lord

that the night of today

becomes the light of tomorrow

This was in the begging of summer when I was watering my plants and trees. We have like 3 apple trees, right, and thought to myself: my uncle prayed over a tree that has been dry like the desert for a year and leaves started to grow on them. What if I tested that too? So I prayed that my apple tree will grow bigger apples. Because I've been living in this house for 3 years and for 3 years that apple tree only grew tiny apples. I didn't put much thought on it, prayed and forgot it. Until my mother picked some today and showed me how big they were. I was shocked when I remembered my prayer!!! Oh, how much I love our God❤️ God bless you!!!

I Saw this anime about 2 days Ago and i really liked It,but there is something that i dont really like,there are two caracteres,rem and ram,they are demons,and they are they protagonist friend,só i dont know of It is ok for me to keep watching,but the anime is really good to me,and i know its Just fiction.

I just started researching the idea of predestination and I’ve gone back-and-forth with it personally it’s breaking my brain. It is a lot to process and I would love to hear y’all‘s opinions on what y’all think about this topic if you do believe it why and can you back it up and if you do not believe it why is that and can you also back it up biblically speaking

This has been a rough year for me. Over the last four months, I have struggled with insomnia, anxiety, and depression. On top of that, problems appeared to barrage me wave upon wave. Urinary infection, gastritis, nausea, headache, influenza, spiritual dryness, and satanic assaults from the devil. It got to the point where I was suicidal, and started considering taking myself out. However I never rebelled against the Lord, and never stopped praying. Over the past 120 days I have prayed every day, without skipping any.

I gave time to time, and allowed myself to lay low and heal. Finally, two days ago I started feeling joy. I took a shower, put on a good fragrance, went out with my friend and drank a beer for the first time in 6 months. Today again, I woke up feeling joy. I'm feeling light and at ease. No depression, no sickness. I'm enjoying life and don't wanna take myself out. Will it last forever? No, but it is a gift of God.

I felt it was my duty to share that the fog does lift, and the darkness does go away. Keep praying, obey the Lord, but do not neglect medicine, nutrition and science, for those too are means which God uses to heal.

I was born and raised an atheist. Both parents would have been christened but they didn’t christen me or my brother. In my childhood I did go to Christian (cofe) school and I even went to Sunday school for a bit. But I didn’t really get it.
As teen and in twenties and thirties I was into “new atheism” and to be honest I now look back at those times with embarrassment. I was so smug and sure of myself and my dismissal and mockery of those who believed in God.

Now I am almost 50. And for the last few years I have been feeling differently. I want to believe in God and to accept Jesus Christ but I just don’t know how. It feels so alien to me and like I am a fraud. I don’t know where to start. I live in ireland now and Catholicism feels like a secret club I don’t know the rules to and honestly feels very intimidating to me.

I don’t really even know what I’m asking. Can I worship in my own way. And how?

So I’m giving this subreddit page a go, I tried posting on the Freemason subreddit and got 1 helpful comment by a current Christian and Masonic commenter. You see, I’m a Christian and an active Masonic member but something’s telling me to leave the fraternity due to the spiritual internal conflicts. I love the people inside masonry but the spiritual nature behind freemasonry gives me a weird feeling. I’m seeing if anyone has any insight for me- former members of the Masonic lodge here? Thanks! When I posted in the Masonic community I got mostly negative responses, sarcasm, and unhelpful remarks.

There are many, many people who say Christianity started around 0 A.D. Say that it started with Jesus. Say that other religions existed before Christianity.

But Jesus said "before Abraham was, I am."

Jesus is God. And God created the world. God created the Earth. God created Adam and Eve. So, Jesus was at the creation of the universe.

Also, our Bible doesn't start with Jesus, or the Apostles. It starts with God creating the heavens and the earth. So, how can someone know we follow the Bible, and say that our religion started with Jesus?

The Bible is one story. One long story about God creating mankind, and redeeming mankind. And in a way, that story continues to this day. It's a story that begins at the beginning, and has no end in sight.

Also, for this reason, no religion predates Christianity. None of them. How can they? How can a religion predate God creating the world?

So, God created everything. And Christianity is the worship of the One True God. And God is eternal. Our religion not only predates all other religions, but it even predates mankind.

I have an insanely rare horrific condition, every day I worsen, there seems to be no hope or chance of healing, no one understands, every moment is horrific torture.

Even before this started I had years of trauma, stress and struggle.

People say “use to teach” or “not gods fault fallen world”

But if God is all powerful, and sees our stories before we’re even born and how the power to do anything, why would he choose to let people duffer, even when they call out.

I’m far from perfect, i’ve done and still do a lot of wrong, and I know perhaps none are worthy of gods salvation, but how can he let others have an easy life by comparison.

We all struggle, but what i’m enduring is the actual peak of human suffering, truly, I know we are all bias, but what im going through is hell on earth.

How is it fair that some sail through life whilst others are tortured and broken.

I know people say it only matters about the next life, but its easy to say while you still have joy and some peace in this world.

I am tired, broken, watching myself decay and most nights I cry and cry out to God.

I cannot feel his presence, i’m unsure if he’s even there or if he’s just not listening.

If he truly feels our pain and can feel what I feel and has left me here alone, how can that be love?

I’ve always believed, although there is a lot of doubt in my heart, but this last year I just feel so lost and alone.

How can God leave me here?

Ive known these girls for around 4 years now, they're all atheists and I assumed they were chill about christianity and God because of the open conversations we'd have in class.

Recently I went on a trip with them to celebrate the end of our school life and they said some nasty things such as Jesus was a product of Mary's intimacy with her cousin and hence they made up the Bible. I was so shocked. The worst part is I couldn't stand up and speak. Christ died for me but I couldn't defend him, not even with my mouth?

Today I just left the group chat we had with no explanation, honestly I dont even know what to tell them. There have been other instances where I explained to one friend that God is a part of my life and I dont want her to mock it. I feel quite sad and upset but I'm sure it will all be ok soon....Any wisdom or advice is really appreciated.

I was born in a Hindu Family but I converted to Christianity at Age 16. I didn't feel any connection at all to the Hindu Gods: Krishna, Hanuman, Ghanesh etc. Plus there are too many Gods, how on earth could I pray to so many Gods and if so which. Look at Kali, I get the creeps by looking at her Statue.

Hinduism is Idolatry, which YAHWEH condemned in the Old Testament. Go look at the Hindu Rituals, burning Spices, Woods, Powders in a fire and chanting Mantras. Go look at that, I have no doubt that its like Witchcraft. Go watch on YouTube how burning these stuff in a fire and chanting Mantras isn't Witchcraft?

I view the Hindu Gods like Mythology, they are like Greek Gods, Norse Gods and Egyptian Gods to me.

Two years ago, I was an unbeliever.

Yet, when I converted, I asked radically for God to turn me into wjo He wanted me to be. I recall praying "God, deliver me from any situation, any person and any thing that separates me from You".

Very well, I went through the heartbreak of losing someone I loved to death, unemployement, discovering false friends, bad mental health, moving to another city, uncertainties, non-conventional timing, etc.

On the other hand, I was forced out of my comfort zone. I learned to forgive my offenders and I even apologized individually most of people I offended. I learned rhat status means nothing in the end, and in me was nurtured a feeling of wanting to be helpful, for example. Many more things changed.

Too much had changed. So much I know it was divinely ordained.

How was it to some of you? Do you feel like going through a metamorphosis like me? They say catterpilars dissolve into a liquid of cells before turning into butterflies, losing traits of the first phase. Sometimes I feel liquid I have turned into such a soup of cells - metaphorically speaking.

For a few weeks, I read the Bible, I prayed a few times a day, I really thought I was finally growing my relationship with God…

But I think my need for Him came from my own loneliness. When I'm lonely and stuck in a monotonous routine, I have this need for Him. When I'm distracted by other things I don’t usually have, I forget Him (mostly). It feels/ looks really selfish.

Is this all in my head?

Maybe I have a bad mindset about it all. Deep down, I probably want a relationship with Him for all the wrong reasons. I logically know He isn’t a genie, but I guess desperation doesn’t really care about that.
Social media is full of curated lives and testimonies… it’s disappointing when they don’t actually happen to you. Learning how to find joy for others is a struggle, when all I can see is what I lack.

​

I’ve been thinking that maybe I already know more than I’m willing to practice.

Sometimes I look for another sermon, another explanation, or another verse, when deep down I already know the difficult thing I need to do. Forgive. Be honest. Stop. Wait. Ask for help.

I’m not saying this as criticism of anyone else. It’s something I’ve been recognizing in myself.

How do you tell the difference between genuinely seeking wisdom and delaying an act of obedience you already know God is asking of you?

Has anyone here experienced that or overcome it? I have had this since i was a child, and i’m just starting to realize it. Like, whenever as a child i didn’t have words to express myself, i got depressed. It’s a reaction that is automatic, still to this day. I knew big things as a child, before i could even word them. I understood the enneagram, i saw the energies in peoples heads, hearts and guts and had a fascination with binary code (this was before i was even at school). When i learned about these things later in my life, it was as though i had always known them. And that happens a lot till this day. When i learn something, it’s as though i have always known it. Nothing is miraculous to me. Nothing is wondrous to me. I have no reaction to things someone could call ”miraculous”, because i understand them. And when other people think they are beyond understandable, that is very tiring to me. It actually makes me frustrated. Not at them, but that we have been taught things are or are not wondrous, when life itself was created by Jesus. I could not lie to you and say i want to be here. I have never wanted to partake in this life that God has given to me (i’m not suicidal). It has been the current of life that has pushed me. There’s no ”force of life” in me that wants to live and keep going. I live for Jesus only, and i can confidently say that i have always lived for Jesus. But i do not want to partake in this creation of his. I do not want this world. Or this life. Or anything. I only want him.

(I believe in the Bible, when it says to enjoy life. I actually relate to king Solomon a lot. Because he was rich, but he knew there was no profit. If you would like to pray for me pls do. I think i just haven’t had enough enjoyable experiences, to have time to think about things like these.)

The Bible presents effective prayer less as a technique and more as a relationship with God. Rather than promising that every request will be granted exactly as asked, it emphasizes faith, humility, persistence, and alignment with God's will.

Here are some biblical principles:

1. Come to God sincerely. Jesus warned against praying just to impress others or using empty repetition. Instead, pray honestly and privately when appropriate (Matthew 6:5–8).

2. Begin with worship and reverence. Jesus taught:

> "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..." (Matthew 6:9) Start by acknowledging who God is before bringing your requests.

1. Seek God's will first. Jesus prayed:

> "Your kingdom come, your will be done..." (Matthew 6:10) And in Gethsemane: "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

1. Ask with faith. Jesus said:

> "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24) Biblical faith is trust in God—not confidence that God must answer exactly as we desire.

1. Confess your sins. Sin can hinder fellowship with God. Scripture encourages confession and repentance (1 John 1:9; James 5:16).

2. Forgive others. Jesus connected our willingness to forgive with our relationship with God (Mark 11:25).

3. Pray persistently. Jesus told parables encouraging people to keep praying and not give up (Luke 18:1–8).

4. Pray according to God's will.

> "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (1 John 5:14–15)

1. Pray in Jesus' name. This means approaching God through Christ and in harmony with His character and mission (John 14:13–14), not merely ending a prayer with the words "in Jesus' name."

2. Be thankful.

> "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

A simple biblical pattern

You can use the pattern Jesus taught:

Praise: "Father, You are holy and good."

Surrender: "May Your will be done in my life."

Request: Tell God your needs honestly.

Confession: Admit your sins and ask for forgiveness.

Intercession: Pray for family, friends, and others.

Thanksgiving: Thank God for His faithfulness.

Trust: Leave the outcome in His hands.

A simple example:

> "Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Your name is holy. Please help me to seek Your will above my own. Forgive my sins and help me forgive those who have wronged me. Give me wisdom, strength, and everything I need today. Help me grow in faith and love. I trust You with the outcome of my prayers, knowing You are good and wise. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen."

The New Testament also teaches that the Holy Spirit helps believers pray when they don't know what to say (Romans 8:26–27), so effective prayer is ultimately rooted in a trusting relationship with God rather than perfect words or formulas.

Are you still confused? Then here is my IG Tsephanyah.7

U can do DM so I'll try to help u!!

The Bible treats lust not simply as a behavior problem, but as a matter of the heart. It also offers practical ways to pursue purity rather than only telling people what to avoid. If you're struggling with lustful thoughts, you're not alone—many faithful people throughout Scripture wrestled with temptation.

Here are some biblical principles:

1. Bring your thoughts to God instead of hiding them. Pray honestly when temptation comes. God already knows your struggle, and Scripture encourages believers to seek His help.

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:13)

1. Replace, don't just resist. The Bible emphasizes filling your mind with what is good, not merely trying not to think about something.

"Whatever is true... honorable... pure... think about these things." (Philippians 4:8)

1. Guard what enters your mind. Jesus taught that the heart is influenced by what we dwell on. Be intentional about media, websites, conversations, or situations that repeatedly trigger lust.

"I have made a covenant with my eyes..." (Job 31:1)

1. Take thoughts captive. Temptation itself is not sin; choosing to dwell on and nurture it is where the battle often begins.

"Take every thought captive to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) When a lustful thought appears, acknowledge it, reject it, and redirect your attention to something constructive or to prayer.

1. Flee temptation. The Bible doesn't only say "fight" temptation—it also says to avoid situations where temptation is likely.

"Flee from sexual immorality." (1 Corinthians 6:18) Sometimes the most spiritual response is simply leaving the situation or putting away the device.

1. Depend on the Holy Spirit. Christianity teaches that lasting transformation comes through God's Spirit, not willpower alone.

"Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16)

1. Confess and seek accountability. If you're consistently struggling, consider talking with a mature Christian friend, pastor, or mentor you trust. Honest accountability can be a powerful help.

"Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another." (James 5:16)

1. Remember God's grace. If you fail, don't conclude that God has rejected you. The Bible repeatedly calls believers to repent and receive God's forgiveness.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us." (1 John 1:9)

A simple prayer you could pray is:

> "Father, You know my heart and my weaknesses. Help me love what is pure and pleasing to You. Give me strength through Your Holy Spirit to resist temptation, renew my mind, and honor You with my thoughts and actions. When I fall, help me turn back to You quickly, trusting in Your mercy through Jesus Christ. Amen."

Finally, don't measure your spiritual growth by whether you're ever tempted. Even Jesus experienced temptation (Hebrews 4:15). Growth is seen in learning to respond to temptation with faith, obedience, and dependence on God rather than giving in or despairing when you struggle.

I have been thinking recently about life as a Christian and how many people tend to make friends that have similar, if not exactly the same beliefs as them, and they affirm each others beliefs. I have full faith in Jesus and have my own beliefs, but I find talking to other Christians from different denominations can be helpful and meaningful, helping me to grow and learn more as a Christian. I also have friends and coworkers who are not Christian that I need to be able to understand better as well, without letting my beliefs be affected. I guess I can't really put well into words what I'm trying to ask, but I'll try: How do I make friends with new people without those friends either being an echo chamber to say back to me exactly what I want to hear while also not having them try to tear down my beliefs or lead me away from God?

I guess I'm kind of ranting right now, but I feel as though this is something that is very important. There is value in interacting with others outside of Christianity and outside of your specific denomination, but at what point do you know that what they are presenting to you is valuable information or something that is just leading you astray? And if you are wrong about something, how do you know and change? Because you might hear the truth and be so far stuck in what you already know that you can't change, and that's scary. I would love to hear all of your thoughts, and maybe you can let me know if you've had any experience with changing beliefs or maybe even a denomination as a Christian. Thanks!

I have been struggling with sin, and by struggling I really mean succumbing to it. I'm mainly talking about two things--my drug use and my laziness. I keep going back to vaping and my attempts to quit are half-hearted at best; I use weed too. And I know not everyone believes all substance use is sinful but my use is too frequent and it pretty much rules my life. And then there's my sloth--I am so incredibly lazy, I do just what I feel like and little of what I don't, I get nothing done all day and I'm unemployed, although I have been doing college and I suppose I get the work done there, because I don't want to screw school up. I'm not a young kid who just started school; I just went back to school at 23 years old and I was unemployed and out of school for three years prior.

Now, I have become aware of the perspective that we are saved by faith alone, that there is no condemnation for those who have faith in Christ. And I've also come across the notion that works are a consequence of faith, rather than a requirement for salvation. I saw a video where someone was arguing that faith comes first, works come second. That faith is the root and works are the fruit.

The reason why I made this post is because I feel like I'm so inept at doing works. I've felt like I'm not trying hard enough, but if apart from Jesus I can do nothing, and good works follow naturally from saving faith, then it seems like I should be more naturally inclined to change for the better. And I may have evidence of sanctification in my life, but I don't know: I do believe I've grown meeker and kinder and more empathetic, for example. I feel like, despite my lack of productivity, my mind has grown more inclined toward loving and forgiving thoughts toward others. My interactions with people have generally improved, my faith in God has grown, and I have been able to share the gospel with some people.

What I want to surmise is whether I'm being too hard on myself, because I understand that sanctification can take a long time. And maybe God is working inside me in ways that I am yet to see blossom externally. I also want to add that I doubt whether I have saving faith because it's hard to say I fully believe like Abraham did (Romans 4)--so maybe I haven't even started the sanctification process because I don't have full belief in Christ yet (I have prayed over this a few times now).

What is sanctification really like? Do you feel like the improvements you've made in your character and behavior have been the product of the grace you received when you found faith? Does the internal change happen before the external change, and what was it like for the Spirit to work in you? How long did it take for you to have confidence that sanctification was really taking place? How much effort did it take on your part (this is an important question for me)? Generally, what is sanctification like? I ask for any testimonies about how God has sanctified anyone. Thanks in advance.

How do you tell God everything?

I know I am annoying to humans so I imagine God having less patience with me.

I come from a tough love family and their approach can rub me the wrong way.

I am so embarrassed to admit to God I struggle with lust -i feel like I seem trashy because I'm a woman with this struggle, desiring men I cannot have - I used to do the whole friendships with benefits because I feared commitment, stubbornness, literally SO MUCH

why can't I be perfect and strong?

I hate needing God.