book review   

"Principles of Spiritual Growth" - by Miles J. Stanford

Book Review (Peter Byon)

"Watch your life and doctrine closely.
Persevere in them, because if you do,
you will save both yourself and your hearers."
– 1 Timothy 4:16

If you just shuddered while reading this exhortation, it may have been because you came across the word "doctrine".  Understandably, this term has some pretty negative connotations for many of us.  It may bring up memories of very strict upbringings where biblical doctrine (or at least someone's version of it) was force-fed with little or no regard for love and grace.  It often conjures up adjectives like "boring", "dull" and "dry".  Unfortunately, an all-too-common result of this baggage has been a swing to the opposite extreme, where the importance of sound biblical doctrine is downplayed, often in the name of 'freedom' and 'grace'.  Neither, of course, is what God intends for us.

There is no denying that it's absolutely crucial that we know and understand the core biblical truths that form the foundation of what and why we believe. But there's also no denying that the process of getting to know and understand those truths is not easy.  That's what makes Principles of Spiritual Growth a terrific resource.  In this surprisingly short book (under 110 pages), Miles J. Stanford takes us back to the basics, and does so with their practical application to our spiritual growth in mind.  Starting with the topic of Faith, he explains in logical order various principles and truths in a way that is both easy to apply and extremely insightful.  What I love about this book, besides the author's zeal for getting to the heart of the matter, are his insights into widespread errors and misconceptions we frequently take for granted.  That is, he's great at teaching us what something is by showing us what it isn't.  (Great examples of this are the chapters on Faith and Self-Denial.)

"I cannot pour chocolate sauce over asparagus."
– George Szell (conductor, Cleveland Orchestra)

I admit, however, that this is not exactly an easy read.  The obvious reason is the subject-matter itself – then again, it does nobody any good to water something down just to make it more accessible.  Another might be that the book is actually a compilation of the author's letters to various friends, and not something that was originally conceived as a single literary work for mass distribution.  Plus, you may not warm up to the academic writing style (I often imagine a stereotypical Oxford or Cambridge professor), and the frequent use of quotations, while very useful for succinctly illustrating points, can be a bit dizzying.  Perhaps most disconcertingly, some of the topics, such as the principles of "Appropriation" and "Consecration", will probably be completely new to many of us (at least they were to me when I first read them). 

So why am I recommending this book?  Because it explains and applies foundational truths that every Christian ought to know, especially those found in Paul's epistles, with such skill, practicality and insight that I believe it is worth the extra effort needed to "chew the cud".  Plus, you'll benefit from this book no matter how little or how much you already know.  (Paradoxically, those who have been 'churched' the longest may in fact be the most vulnerable to having foundations of sand from repeatedly hearing words like "grace", "faith" and "sanctification" without ever having learned exactly what they mean.)

This is definitely not a book you can (nor should) plow through in one sitting.  It's a book whose chapters should be read and re-read slowly and carefully over a long period as we grow in our walk with the Lord and learn more about Him and about ourselves.  That's been my own experience during the more than ten years I've had this wonderful book, and I praise God for the rich dividends it's yielded thus far. 

"Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth"
– John 17:17