The Quest for Character

You can never go wrong with anything written by John MacArthur. He speaks the truth in the way that God had intended His word to be taught. He digs deep in research bringing conviction to all of us no matter how obedient we think we are. He doesn't water it down. Too many so called Christians are looking for self help, make me feel good books. John's books teaches us how to please God and in turn we receive His blessings. John's books lead us into a true relationship with our Creator.

Bible scholar and preacher John MacArthur does it again with a pocket-sized study into Christian character as he focuses on four lessons from the Bible that lay out perfect Christian character. Like usual, MacArthur denounces the worldly views on what good character truly is and focuses instead on the example that we are meant to emulate: Jesus Christ. MacArthur takes his reader on a journey through the Beatitudes(Matt. 5:3-12), the Progress of Faith (2 Peter 1:5-8), the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and the Qualities of Love (1 Cor. 13:4-8). This extensive (but still simple) study points out such characteristics as humility, meekness, courage, passion, integrity, generosity, to name only a few. MacArthur has quickly become one of my favorite Christian educators because of his extensive knowledge of the Bible and his desire to take up the challenge of "unleashing God's truth, one verse at a time."

Don't let the size of the book fool you. Though it is small it packs a punch. Many people are looking for step by step instructions when reading books on how to develope themselves. This book is not step by step. John MacArthur starts with the Beatitudes and works his way through the Fruit of the Spirit and so on. It will up to the reader and the Holy Spirit to get to new levels of maturity. The Beatitudes are based around the word humility. How does someone teach that? Only the Holy Spirit can. If you're looking for a book to point you in the right direction, this is the book for you. If you want a step by step book on developing ones character, you will probably want to look elsewhere.

I have read through this book now twice. Digging through the Bible to find the lists of traits that exemplify the type of person that God wills us to be can be daunting. MacArthur collects those lists of traits, qualities and behaviours together and then briefly yet expertly explains what they are and how they can be applied. Constantly going over these lists helps to burn them into your heart. Highly recommended.