Passion and Purity by that Elliot chick

So I've been reading through Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot. It seems to always show up on the "Hit Lists" of Christians, along with titles such as Mere Christianity, My Utmost for His Highest, assorted works by Watchman Nee, and I Kissed Dating Goodbye (I'd advise staying away from that one).

Still don't understand why most Christians have never read The Screwtape Letters, though. But I digress...


Overall, I'd say it's a good book. I have maybe 15 pages to go or so, so not completely done, but I've enjoyed what I've read so far.

This Elizabeth Elliot chick seems to fit the mold of a lot of Christian ladies that I've known throughout my life. It's like they've become the spitting image of the woman as they've described themselves in the book. The only major difference is that there is no Jim in their life; and some of them are well into their forties. But highly used of God.

I do question Elliot's theology a bit though. She seems to like to pull phrases from the Bible at random to either confirm or deny her feelings on subjects. When questioning if it's lawful for someone to desire marriage, she pulls verses that basically call her the "whore of Babylon" in order to say that the desire is wrong. She takes scripture and twists it, whether intentionally or not. I don't understand how she can pull obscure Old Testament verses out instead of just reading through what Paul wrote on the subject.

And based on the quality of their letters, if that is what people talked like back in the 50's, I'm so very glad I live in the 00's! We like da way we talk, and you ain't changing us one bit!

Overall though I'd say it's an excellent book, far better than anything by Josh Harris or the Ludys (it's ok, I've met them, and while they are odd, they're ok), although the Ludy's book was pretty good.

It is a bit of an odd mindset this book has put me in, though. You start thinking of everything in life taking longer, as if that's the real grand master plan God has for everyone. I'm glad God does not have a chart somewhere in heaven where He checks off everyone's progress, keeping everyone to say the same rule and time. He's more hands on than that, thank God!

Guess that must be what the Spirit does...helps push us along and build us up. You know, all my life I've always thought that it was God who helped us, God who kept, God who did this and that for us. Reading through the NT over and over these past few weeks, I've begun to realize something. While yes it is God that is doing all these things, in reality, it's the Holy Spirit.

So why have I been fooled into thinking for so long that it was God the Father who worked in us instead of the Holy Spirit?