Cultivation of Christian Character

Utterly explosive from the start! The Cultivation of Christian Character starts with a short but stark analysis of spiritual maturity by showing what immaturity is. Oh what a shock to see some traits I am working on there! But Oswald goes on to outline the great characteristics needed to show increasing maturity in Christ. Each subsequent chapter examines difffent elements that contribute to this maturity. So many books just focus on character building - one of Sander's chapters talks about falling out of relationship with God and not even realising it. How does this relate to character? We can only build character in relationship with him, otherwise we might as well call ourselves 'ascetic' or 'stoic' but we cannot state we currently 'know him' if we are distant from him. There is so much in here that warrents repeat study. Absolutely magnificent - this is a wake up call in a gentle but scriptural way and my study book perhaps for the year.

This books is OK. Most of it is kind of a summary of biblical teaching, and at the end of the book the author gets a bit more practical and suggests habits to undertake in order to cultivate character.

J. Oswald Sanders is one of my favorites. His book Spiritual Leadership had a big influence on me. The Cultivation of Christian Character had the same spiritual seriousness about it. It seemed more like it was a collection of random chapters more than any kind of a developed argument. That said, one can still read it with great profit!

The Kindle version I read was difficult. Better formatting would have helped both my experience and comprehension.

I often find that books written a generation ago about Christian living are much deeper and forceful than books written today. Such is the case with this one. It was originally published in 1965 and is as pertinent today as it was then.

Sanders wrote this book for people who truly desire a closer walk with God and to be more like Christ yet struggle greatly. He was quick to note that spiritual maturity must be learned and it is not easy. One cannot maintain a level of maturity without effort. Sanders included much about the diligence required for developing Christian character and the strategic opposition of the devil.

There are two sections in the book I found particularly insightful. One was about being filled with the Spirit. “The clear teaching of Scripture is that we are filled with the Spirit when our human spirit is mastered and controlled by the Holy Spirit.” (488/1297) That's a bit different than what we hear from flashy preachers today.

The other section was on Christ in me and I in Christ. His explanation of this concept was very enlightening for me. He used a great illustration of his wife sitting near him while he was working intently at his desk. While concentrating on his work, he was always aware of his wife's presence. He explains, “we can consciously be enjoying fellowship with the indwelling Christ while fully engaged in our daily work.” (591/1297)

This is a good book for Christians yearning to live consecrated lives. Clear teaching and encouragement are included in it. It may be a small book but it is very powerful. (Sanders frequently used the KJV and some modern readers might not like that.)

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.