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I try to be a good person but fail every time. I am full of anger, hostility, anxiety, fear, depression and sin and I constantly fail to be worthy of God’s love, blessing and forgiveness.

If God does love me, I don’t know why or how He could.

I say I believe in God, I say I believe in Jesus and believe he is the lord and savior, but I don’t think I truly have accepted Jesus yet, because if I did I wouldn’t be such a terrible person who constantly chooses Godlessness over what is right.

I believe the miserable state I have been in for a long time is my punishment for failing God constantly. I hope God hasn’t given up on me even though I have given Him no reason to have faith or confidence in me. Maybe one day I will get it right.

“I believe the miserable state I have been in for a long time is my punishment for failing God constantly.”

I have been a Christian all of my life. And have said the same as you often, and have also wondered if I was saved. A friend once assured me that I was saved, and reminded me of the verse that says “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for they shall inherit eternal life.”

And though it is perhaps a bit trite, as our preacher says “Nothing you do will make God love you any more. And nothing you do will make God love you any less.” (The whole “hate the sin, not the sinner” thing”)

One thing that I became more aware of at our new church was how the Commandments, and the teachings of Christ are instructions on how to be happy. If we don’t follow those wise instructions, we are put back into bondage and punishments of our own making.

Although I do think that God does chastise us in order for us to change direction (many don’t agree with me on that - but I have seen it in my own life). But I think most of the time we do well enough on our own in punishing ourselves.

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I found the following after a quick search on “Grace”:

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/20-inspirational-bible-verses-about-grace/

Grace means to get something that you do not deserve; unmerited favor. Mercy means you do not get a punishment that you deserve; compassion, forbearance. God is abundant in grace and mercy and we can read about it in the Bible. His greatest act of grace is the gift of salvation that is available for all people through faith (Eph 2:8-9).

Ephesians 2:4-9 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Christian Quotes About Grace

“Just as the sinner’s despair of any hope from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer’s growth in grace.” ~ A. W. Pink

Last November we lost all our life savings and retirement to a Ponzi scheme. Over $1 million dollars. We now live on Social Security. If God had not been with us I could not have endured it.

Do not become discouraged that you are human. Human nature may tend toward evil, but is not inherently sinful. Be not downcast by your failure wholly to forget some of your regrettable experiences. The mistakes which you fail to forget in time will be forgotten in eternity. Lighten your burdens of soul by speedily acquiring a long-distance view of your destiny, a universe expansion of your career. UB 1739

When man gives everything he has to God then does God make man more than he is.

I try to be a good person but fail every time. I am full of anger, hostility, anxiety, fear, depression and sin and I constantly fail to be worthy of God’s love, blessing and forgiveness.

I say I believe in God, I say I believe in Jesus and believe he is the lord and savior, but I don’t think I truly have accepted Jesus yet, because if I did I wouldn’t be such a terrible person who constantly chooses Godlessness over what is right.

We've all got some advice...Here's mine...

You're no different that the rest of us in that we stumble and fall on a regular basis...

We have an old nature that loves to go against God...So how do we get nearer to God???

God gave us an instruction book...The bible...Our old nature hates that book...

Get into that book...Don't worry about understanding it...Just believe it...As you believe, God will provide the understanding...

Follow the threads on the religion forum on FR...Those who know God constantly post scripture and pay particular attention to the posts of metmom, boatbums and many others who always back up what they say with scripture...

There's an old saying that 'sin will keep you from that book, and that book will keep you from sin...Speaking of the bible of course...

And stay in constant contact with God thru prayer...Talk to Him...Keep on talking to Him...

Let yesterday go...Start every day anew...Like they say, today is the fisrt day of the rest of your life...

I believe the miserable state I have been in for a long time is my punishment for failing God constantly. I hope God hasn’t given up on me even though I have given Him no reason to have faith or confidence in me. Maybe one day I will get it right.

That small voice in your head telling you those things over, and over is the great deceiver. It is he who wants you to believe those things.

That voice that tells us we're not good enough, we don't deserve God's love or his forgiveness, and no matter how hard we try we fall short isn't from the Lord. I know, I've been right where you are and it's a struggle to get past it.

What you must do, is learn to forgive YOURSELF. The Lord already has.

None of us are perfect, we'll never be "good enough" and we all fall short of the Grace and Glory of the Lord. That's ok, He knows that. That's why Jesus came to be the perfect sacrifice the Lord required as forgiveness of our Sins. Your father in Heaven loves you so much, he gave His one and only Son, Jesus who forgave you your sins long before you were born.

There is nothing you can do to earn that forgiveness my friend, it is a gift from our Father in Heaven. All you have to do is accept it, embrace it and be thankful in heart and spirit.

That doesn't mean you won't slip and fall again, it doesn't mean you won't sin. You will, so will I and everyone else on this thread. What you must remember is that the Lord forgave you before you were born. His love was poured into you as he knit you together in your mothers womb, and his love has always been there.

Grab onto it, hold it like you'll never let it go, and forgive yourself. You'll never reach your full potential, or be what God wants you to be while you hang onto the guilt of sins past, and listen to the Deceiver's voice.

You are so much better than the voice that deceives you into thinking otherwise. Stop listening to it, calm yourself, and listen for the Lord.

Dear GR_Jr. did you know you have the same problem that the apostle Paul had. He said the things I should do I don’t do and the things I shouldn’t do that’s what I do. I try to serve God with my mind, but my flesh keep sinning. Then he said something wonderful in Romans 8:1 “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.” There is no more condemnation because Jesus already paid for your sins. And that is what grace is for, to lift you out of whatever mess you might find yourself in. People misunderstood Paul when he said “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans5:20). That doesn’t mean sin more to get more grace it means there is an empowerment for you to come out. That’s why Jesus told Paul “My grace is sufficient for thee(and you): for MY strenght is made perfect in weakness” (2Corinthians 12:9). If you lean on his grace and don’t condemn yourself there is an empowerment from him. That’s why Paul said “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). So hold on. God Bless!

Dear GR_Jr

What we forget sometimes in being a Christian is also an action word . I have been studying scripture more since not working my traditional job.

I have found there are like layers to this spiritual Christian walking we do here on earth. It is like going through one valley to the next Peak Mountain top experience then to the next at times. But always through the valley. God does not have to be a feeling all the time. But when I have a time I always do this:

Please Remember this is an action word verses for believers!

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Notice: And the PEACE of God, which Transcends all Understanding, will GUARD your Hearts and your MINDS in Christ Jesus.

Reread until it finally mediates into true form for real living.

Also work towards piecemeal learning of doing partial or full Fasts with these verses.

One thing that happen to me was whether to leave a job in 2009.

I did partial fasts with prayers and went to chapel prayers at church. Then felt in my heart to leave my job with early payout with lowest retirement monthly stipend. My company had 2900 people working the tristate area of Ny within a year only 550employers in 2009.

So I prayed fervently. Well I did it. It was the best thing. Two months later all the leaving payout and retirement rules changed. I would have to wait another eleven years to retire if the company existed. By retiring the money was guaranteed(? so far) to be there by the investment funds.

It proved to be the best decision. If I did not do the fasting and prayering I would not be telling you about it. Now I have more time with the Lord and his work.

Praise be to Jesus!

Amen!!= So it will be!

"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." - E. M. Bounds

Say this Prayer

Lord Jesus I ask for Holy boldness in Prayer as I walk with thee.

Eternal Father, we offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy Beloved Son and my Divine Redeemer, for all my relations, friends and enemies, for the poor, the sick, and those in tribulation, and for all those for whom Thou willest I should pray, or knowest that I ought to pray.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Blessed and praised forevermore be Jesus Who hath saved us by His Precious Blood!

P.S. I have been Fasting this month like I never have done before in my life. I realize why the apostles always fasted. It is like there is a separation of the outward man(body) and innerman(soul). When you fast even if your body wants to react to the carnal your Holy Spirit soul supersedes the physical in life. The Holy Spirit becomes very profound in our walk.

I pray this will help you. AMEN!!!