"Healthy Faith Embraces Reality"

"Discomfort is reality. Pain is reality. Conflict is reality. Spiritual warfare is reality. Healthy faith helps us embrace all of these biblical realities, constantly availing ourselves of the reality of Christ’s help and presence. Unhealthy, toxic faith denies the dark side, thus creating an even greater conflict.

"A healthy faith accepts who we are and where we are rather than trying to conjure some artificial image for people who are not comfortable accepting us as we are. If we’re based in reality, then the reality is that we’ve all failed, we’re all sinners, and we’re all stumbling along the way. We thrash about in slimy pits now and then; we feel fear as we walk narrow trails in dark valleys.

"In other words, we are 100 percent, certifiably fallible – that is, human. David reminded his readers that God never forgets that fact (even though we may). He wrote: ‘As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14).

"Some branches of evangelical Christianity teach that believers can achieve a level of ‘sanctification’ where they no longer sin. That is not only unbiblical, it is just plain unrealistic. Reality means seeing, understanding, and accepting the truth about who I am."

Stephen Arterburn, Jack Felton, More Jesus, Less Religion, p. 3.