Lessons learnt from Passion and Purity

Just taking excerpts from the book reports that i had to do....

I. Overview of book
This book written by Elizabeth Elliot partly follows her life story as she and her first husband Jim battles through similar things that we do today when it comes to our fleshy, selfish, ungodly, unholy sexual desires with the person whom we love and want tos spend the rest of our lives with. She is à living testimony when it comes to living à life in purity, holy before God and what it means to wait upon THE Lord, daily "killing" THE flesh in order to say yes to God. She doesnt pretend that it was easy, nor does she "sugarcoat" what her flesh so desires. Their love story may not be a common one but that doesnt discount the lessons one can learn (especially THE females) through her wonderful testimony of how she resisted temptations, remained faithful to her beloved while being wholly devoted to God.

II. 2 points learnt from the book
À. So Often we, as females, find ourselves in à position where we become impatient, and want to take matters into our own hands and end up becoming THE initiator. What some of us dont realise is the fact that it becomes a turn off when we try to fulfill what the male are created to do. Adam's job was to be responsible, to care, protect, provide and cherish Eve. Male in their physical design are Made to be the initiator. Females are then to be the reciprocal and are ought to be the receptors and responders. In accordance to scriptures, we are also to submit to our husband.

Taking the story of Adam and Eve a little further, it can be seen how devastating of a result we get when they start reversing roles. Chaos was seen then and it still is evident today due to their role-swapping. I am sure that it was never God's intention for us human beings to try and swap roles just as it was always intended for us to prepare ourselves to be His bride as a representation of the relative position of Christ and the church.


B.  In Chapter 38, she talks about this idea of THE process of letting go is part of our ongoing spiritual life. We stunt THE growth of our soul when we refuse to let go of THE things God wants us to let go of. In fact, we sometimes have THE incorrect perception where we think once we have received something from God, that it is ours and that we can do whatever we want with it. THE truth is, we are to thank God for it and always be ready to offer, relinquish and let go of it should Hè require it from us.

We need to Remmember that THE growth of any living thing requires THE Seed to first die before  THE new shoot Springs up, giving way to à new form of life. Just like our body cells die to give way to new cells in order for us to function, there Will be things in life we need to let go, or "kill", to give way for His purposes to be fulfilled in our lives.


III. An aspect of God that is very evident through the book is His holiness. This then extend and relates back to me being pure in heart for Him and Him alone even when I am in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex. The bible is clear when it comes to discussing the issues of sex before marriage and/or sex within marriage. The marriage bed is to be kept pure. There's no gray area for it.

THE book is à testimony that it is possible for two young people, full of hormones, curiosity and Passion to resist temptation.  A pure and worthwhile motive is required to assist them as well God to be in their midst to enable them to stay unadulterated. It is obviously on our part not to walk ourselves into 'temptation' itself. Because we Will Then have to stand before God and be accountable for it.

Simply put, Hè has given THE absolute best for me ie Jesus Christ in all His righteousness and holiness being crucified, why cant i do this somewhat seemingly minute act of obedience in comparison, for Him?

IV. Get a quote or paragraph from the book and talk about it.
"While purity before marriage... consists in holding ourselves from one another in obedience to God, purity after marriage consists in giving ourselves to and for each other in obedience to God. Passion, whether that of one who is hungry for another not yet given or that of one who, by God's gift, shares the bed of another, must be held in principle. The principle is love - not erotic or sentimental or sexual feeling, but love." (page 180)

By experience, the notion of being 'in love' isn't going to last forever. Many marriages have ended due to one or both of the parties falling "out of love". I have learned through this book that love needs to be "maintained by the will, deliberately strengthened by habit, reinforced by grace which both partners ask and receive from God.." Once love is maintained in the relationship, passion is then upheld and then purity can be cultivated inside a marriage. I find this to be an important lesson now as this will remind me in the future not to be so selfish when it comes to my married life but rather to ask for God's grace continually to maintain a healthy marriage. :)