Review: The Quest for Character
I recently finished John MacArthur’s new book, The Quest for Character. When I first heard of this book I thought it would be a companion to one of his other books The Book On Leadership because the cover design was similar. But when it came in the mail it was actually a tiny gift-size book. I skimmed it and felt a little disappointed because it just seemed like a brief review with a lot of artwork. But then I read it. This may be a small book, but it “packs a punch.” I never would have thought that a coffee-table type book could be so convicting!
One thing that I was right about is that the book is a bit of a review. In four short sections MacArthur covers “The Beatitudes” from Matthew 5:3-12, “The Progress of Faith” from 2 Peter 1:5-8, “The Fruit of the Spirit” from Galatians 5:22-23, and “The Triumph of Love” from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. With not even 150 pages to the book, the chapters aren’t able to go into much detail. This isn’t an in-depth look at these four character studies, but rather a glimpse of them. Hopefully the glimpse will stir readers on, as it did me, to deeper study of the Scriptures they cover.
Each chapter is, at most, four pages long, so this book is easy to read. I found it to be very inspiring in the challenges it presented for my own character. Below are some specific portions that I gleaned a lot from.
- Chapter 4 “A Parched Soul” This chapter addresses the heart of our desires. Most people want pleasure, comfort, popularity or power but the righteous person will I “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” (Matthew 5:6) The righteous person desires most for God to be glorified. MacArthur writes about the difficulty many Christians have because they desire the things of the world rather than righteousness. I really like how he said,
then turn to Christ as Lord and Savior.
Ask Him to give you spiritual live by his Spirit.
He promises He will turn no one away.” (p.28)
I was encouraged by this knowing that as His child, I can trust Him to replace my old fleshly desires with new ones. Though I sometimes seek for self, I can pray and ask Him to replace that self-centeredness with a hunger and thirst for righteousness and His glory.
-Chapter 7 “A Passion For Peace” The idea of peace is sometimes just that in my mind…an idea. With so much evil and sin I wonder how things could ever be peaceful. I was challenged by what MacArthur writes about peace and its interconnectedness to holiness:
sake of false peace. Scripture says, ‘The wisdom that is from
above is first pure, then peaceable.’ (James 3:17) As much as we
love peace and prefer peace over any kind of conflict, making
peace with evil is unthinkable. Sanctioning evil brings no peace at all.
One of the best ways we can be peacemakers is by proclaiming the
gospel of reconciliation to a world in conflict. (p. 39-40)
If virtue could instantly be ours through some
sort of passive, instantaneous, supernatural experience,
Peter would have urged us to seek that experience.
He doesn’t. He commands diligence and describes a
process of gradual sanctification whereby we are
increasingly conformed to the image of Christ as we
exercise diligence in the cultivation of personal virtues.
Don’t be frustrated by the process. Embrace it and be diligent
to see it through the end.” (p.53)
in Christ. These virtues are all the fruits of the Spirit’s work
in and through us. You cannot manufacture fruit. Fruit grows
on its own in the right circumstances and given a suitable
environment. You can’t get a sweet pear from a bramble bush,
and all the factory workers and equipment in the world could
never fabricate an orange.” (p. 81)
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