u/Narrow-Musician-3174

I think most people, regardless of how hard they "worked" to get their physique, don't realize, or downplay, how much genetics played into it. I'm saying this as a lanky 6' tall guy who could eat all day and only gain weight in my middle section. I received my body genetics from my father's side of the family. The women are all skinny with no butts, and the guys are skinny with guts. Now, sure, I could hit the gym hard 5 or 6 days a week, instead of 3, and I would see better results, but for me to achieve a normal looking, filled out body, I would need different genetics. I assure you that my skinny ass legs, even with a nice layer of muscle on them, would still look skinny.

It's frustrating when someone, who looked relatively healthy and normal before they started working out, tells someone like me, "you just need to eat more protein and hit the gym harder".

If someone has a picture of a lanky, tall, skinny dude looking filled out (including their legs) after changing their diet and fitness habits, please feel free to share it.

I'm not referring to total gym rats who literally make working out their full-time job. I do believe these people can make pretty significant gains, but it's not a realistic life change for 98% of people. At 48 years old, there is no chance I'm becoming a gym rat lol.

I believe the Old Testament is the Word of God. It's also the history of God's chosen people, and it teaches us who God is and how he interacted with his people. That being said, I think it becomes problematic when Christians use the Old Testament to justify things like "eye for and eye" and many other things that are no longer relevant due to the new covenant we have with Christ. Christ flipped the script on many things such as lust, and loving our enemies. If I wanted to, I could justify ignoring Jesus's teachings on certain subjects by pointing to Old Testament teachings instead.

I could use the Old Testament to justify having multiple wives by pointing out that most of God's people had some kids with their servants. And what about Kings and their concubines? I could justify stoning someone to death for sins they commit. I could justify treating woman like property. There is a ton of stuff in the Old Testament that could be used to justify things that are no longer relevant with the new covenant, so I choose to only use the New Testament when I am seeking how to live as a Christian. I still read the Old Testament, and there is a ton of wisdom in it, but I do not use it as a guide for how I am to live as a Christian.

What are your thoughts?

I'm realizing more and more, as I take this journey of recovery, that I have a lot of depression, and not having my lust fix is making it difficult to find joy. I need to reconnect with my higher power and find something that brings me some peace and joy, and I also need to remember that the road of lust and sex is a dead-end road that leads to destruction.

Genuine question from a Protestant. At what point is a Catholic considered "saved"? The Bible says, "if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". Are there any further requirements for a person to be "saved"?