--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Curiously enough, it is a fear of how…" description: "\"“Curiously enough, it is a fear of how grace will change and improve them that keeps many souls away from God. They want God to take them as they are a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/349/fulton-j-sheen-675_catholic_curiously-enough-it-is-a-fear-of-how-gra_3127817.jpg" --- # Curiously enough, it is a fear of how grace will change… ![“Curiously enough, it is a fear of how grace will change and improve them that keeps many souls away from God. They want God to take them as they are and let them stay that way. They want Him to take away their love of riches, but not their riches—to purge them of the disgust of sin, but not of the…” quote by Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/349/fulton-j-sheen-675_catholic_curiously-enough-it-is-a-fear-of-how-gra_3127817.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/349/fulton-j-sheen-675_catholic_curiously-enough-it-is-a-fear-of-how-gra_3127817.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/349/fulton-j-sheen-675_catholic_curiously-enough-it-is-a-fear-of-how-gra_3127817.jpg) > ““Curiously enough, it is a fear of how grace will change and improve them that keeps many souls away from God. They want God to take them as they are and let them stay that way. They want Him to take away their love of riches, but not their riches—to purge them of the disgust of sin, but not of the pleasure of sin. Some of them equate goodness with indifference to evil and think that God is good if He is broad-minded or tolerant about evil. Like the onlookers at the Cross, they want God on their terms, not His, and they shout, “Come down, and we will believe.” But the things they ask are the marks of a false religion: it promises salvation without a cross, abandonment without sacrifice, Christ without his nails. God is a consuming fire; our desire for God must include a willingness to have the chaff burned from our intellect and the weeds of our sinful will purged. The very fear souls have of surrendering themselves to the Lord with a cross is an evidence of their instinctive belief in His Holiness. Because God is fire, we cannot escape Him, whether we draw near for conversion or flee from aversion: in either case, He affects us. If we accept His love, its fires will illumine and warm us; if we reject Him, they will still burn on in us in frustration and remorse.”” [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True faith requires embracing suffering and sacrifice; avoiding hardship leads to a shallow, self‑serving belief. **In simple terms:** Faith demands sacrifice, not comfort. Key Takeaway Accept challenges as part of spiritual growth. Themes faith sacrifice spirituality Mood contemplative serious Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - religious practice - personal crisis - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts Divine fire cross purification Questions to Reflect On - Are you willing to face discomfort for deeper faith? - How does suffering shape your spiritual journey? A Different Perspective Faith without sacrifice can become complacent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholic-spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic-spirituality/) [Catholicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholicism/) [False religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-religion/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Holiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holiness/) [Sanctification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctification/) [Without sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-sacrifice/) ## Related quotes > [“In moments when fever, agony, and pain make it hard to pray, the suggestion of prayer that comes from merely holding the rosary -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/in-moments-when-fever-agony-and-pain-make-it-hard-to-pray-the/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Broken things are precious. 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They want God to take them as they are and let them stay that way. They want Him to take away their love of riches, but not their riches—to purge them of the disgust of sin, but not of the pleasure of sin. Some of them equate goodness with indifference to evil and think that God is good if He is broad-minded or tolerant about evil. Like the onlookers at the Cross, they want God on their terms, not His, and they shout, “Come down, and we will believe.” But the things they ask are the marks of a false religion: it promises salvation without a cross, abandonment without sacrifice, Christ without his nails. God is a consuming fire; our desire for God must include a willingness to have the chaff burned from our intellect and the weeds of our sinful will purged. The very fear souls have of surrendering themselves to the Lord with a cross is an evidence of their instinctive belief in His Holiness. 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