The Quest for Character

The past couple of days I have been reading The Quest for Character by John MacArthur. It is such a convicting read. I just got through the beatitudes part. I know this is kind of long, but it is very much worthwhile to read through. Here are some of my favorite parts so far:


The Character Crisis

“The only societies that confer celebrity status on immoral and villainous people have been cultures in serious decline and on the precipice of utter ruin”

“People today literally entertain themselves with iniquity….virtue and infamy have traded places.”

“Honest character is now seen as totally optional- or worse, hopelessly unfashionable.”



Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.



“Every one of the Beatitudes focuses on what we are, not merely what we do.”

“They [the beatitudes] show us our need for a Savior and direct us to Christ for the forgiveness and cleansing we need.”



1. A Humble Spirit

“We are not fundamentally good. We are not in any way spiritually self-sufficient. We are fallen sinners in desperate need of a Savior. We are spiritual paupers.”

“Humility before God is the first and most essential of all virtues.”


2. A Repentant Sorrow

“Mourning of repentance”

“ ‘Godly sorrow produces repentance’. This kind of sorrow has a healing effect. It involves painful anguish over the wickedness of our own sin. But because it produces repentance, it results in forgiveness- and that is the only un-regrettable answer to all our regrets.”

“Worldly sorrow is characterized by resentment over our sin’s consequences. Its ultimate fruit, the Bible says, is death.”


3. A Meek Composure

“Meekness is not weakness…meekness is strength under control.”

“Meekness is where humility and self-control meet.”


4. A Parched Soul

“Want to be truly satisfied? Cultivate and feed an appetite for righteousness.”

“The Beatitudes are not merely the first signposts on our quest for character; they are also the keys to true happiness.”


5. A Merciful Compassion

“Mercy is vital to godly character. If you want to reflect the epitome of God’s own heart and character, cultivate mercy.”

“…mercy colors God’s dealings even with those who hate Him, and if our character is going to be a reflection of His, we must be merciful even to those who hate us. That’s not a natural quality for fallen human hearts, but it is essential to the quest for authentic godly character.”


6. A Pure Heart

“What really counts in God’s estimation is the state of our hearts…and there’s nothing we can do for ourselves to make our hearts clean…that’s why Christ died- to redeem us from that bondage.”

“…justification, which involves not just the forgiveness of our sin and the erasure of our guilt but also the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us.”


7. A Passion for Peace

“ ‘Pursue peace will all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord’. Peace and holiness are indivisible partners. Try to divorce the two virtues and you destroy them both.”

“…anyone who genuinely loves holiness will spurn the false, worldly “peace” of blithe tolerance for evil things. That is not true peace in any sense. It’s actually a thin disguise for fallen humanity’s hostility against God.”


8. A Steadfast Love for Christ

“It’s ironic and highly significant that Jesus moves immediately from the idea of encouraging peacemakers to the reality that a person with righteous character inevitably will incur persecution.”

“The persecution He describes is a specific kind. He’s not blessing those who are merely suffering the due consequences of some sin…this beatitude applies to those who take a stand for Christ and suffer because of it…He is blessing people who are innocently and falsely accused by others for no reason other than the persecutors’ resentment of everything righteous.”

“Don’t take persecution as a personal insult, and don’t retaliate in kind. But endure the affront for Jesus’ sake, remembering His example of never returning reviling for reviling or threat for threat.”



This is as far as I have gotten! Next comes “The Progression of Faith”.