The Purity Driven Life: God's Call to Character and Integrity by Mike Maxwell is a powerful reflection on and a call to live a life of union with God by consciously seeking purity of mind and body, a book that comes across as timely and relevant to our modern culture of greed and consumerism, where sex and other forms of impurities are glaringly highlighted through music, dress, and the validation of promiscuity in its diverse forms. The author calls the attention of readers to a very serious trap of thinking that living in grace could mean condoning impurity or thinking it can’t be overcome. With examples from real life situations and making succinct references to the Bible, Mike Maxwell proposes a path to holiness of life with exercises that will allow readers to assess their growth, understand their challenges, and locate the tools to build a life that is pure and inwardly free.

The Purity Driven Life: God's Call to Character and Integrity is simply written and it is beautiful to see that the author identifies with his readers. In the heart of this Christian book is the message that we can live a life of purity and that we can embrace authenticity and create a difference in the world. That something is difficult isn’t enough reason not to do it, the author seems to say. On the contrary, when we make the journey towards purity, we become one with God and find fulfillment in other areas of life. This book is a call to freedom from sin and to a life that is God-centered. A message that will be well received by Christians.

The Purity Driven Life: God's Call to Character and Integrity could make readers think immediately of The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, but this book clearly focuses on the principle of purity and a life of authenticity. Mike Maxwell uses his personal experience as a springboard to launch his call to a life that is free of sexual sin, a life that is authentic and worthy of God’s call as expressed in the Christian scriptures. The example of the Dexter Show will resonate with many readers as well as the realism with which the author handles the subject.

The Purity Driven Life: God’s Call to Character and Integrity is a book with numerous heartwarming and enlightening passages. For instance, it would be hard not to stop and ponder on the following or similar words: “… when it comes time for a real spiritual fight, a failing marriage, the loss of your career, the loss of a dream or maybe something as serious as your child being diagnosed with terminal cancer, we are forced to confront the harsh reality that our inward walk with God may not be as solid as it appears from the outside. When we are tested, we find that we have no foundation and are forced to admit that our Christianity is a nothing more than a hollow cardboard cutout of the Christian life, empty of any real relationship with Jesus.”

This book offers a practical guide on how to win one’s freedom from sexual sin and to live a life that is pure and dedicated to God. But besides the examples from Scripture, how does purity apply to the general reader? How does it enhance the lives of those who do not believe in the God of Jesus Christ? One of the limitations of this book is that it seems to be addressed solely to Christians. Otherwise, Mike Maxwell’s book is a gift that is most needed in this time and age of falling moral values. Its authority comes from the fact that the message is anchored in the bible.

Can one live a life that is pure in a world and a culture that validate pornography and other sexual sins? Is purity of mind, heart, and body really possible? Such are questions that the author of The Purity Driven Life: God's Call to Character and Integrity, Mike Maxwell, could have thought to be answered with a big NO ... until he made his own personal journey towards freedom and authenticity. Now, using his personal experience, his understanding of the message of the Bible on purity, and popular culture, the author creates a path that can help readers experience the inner freedom that is the fruit of a pure and an unadulterated life centered on God’s message of salvation.

In a style that is very accessible and with pertinent references to the Bible and other authors, Mike Maxwell has created a tool that many readers will want to use. Although the subject of purity isn’t new in this area of spirituality and Christian living, it can easily be played down. The author understands the dangers of living in the present time and how easily it can be to play down God’s call to a life of purity by relativizing sexual sin, and he offers a powerful way to get out of this. At the end of each chapter, there are questions that will help readers to develop a consciousness on purity, take concrete steps to implementing the message in the book, and understand how a lack of purity can affect other areas of their lives. The Purity Driven Life: God's Call to Character and Integrity is an invitation, a powerful one at that, to men and women of this age to embrace a life of authenticity.

I am writing this book review on the Monday after the weekend that an old video recording of a man who is running for President of the United States was released. The vulgar language and the attitude displayed has shocked many and will undoubtedly have some impact on the race for the highest office in the land. My point is that the message of The Purity Driven Life: God's Call to Character and Integrity by Mike Maxwell is as timely and relevant to today’s society as it has ever been in human history. I think most of us struggle with our sexual desires. I think most of us want to be “pure” and Christ-like, but we are not sure how. If this is you or someone you know, then I suggest reading The Purity Driven Life as the first step to accomplishing your goal of being free of the chains of sexual and pornographic slavery.

The Purity Driven Life is an up close look at the problem of sexual sin. Mike Maxwell says he is not a writer, but this book says otherwise. It is very well written, very well organized, and very well researched. There are appropriate Bible passages and timely quotes for every topic discussed, and these will give you the comfort of knowing that you are not alone in your struggle with sexual sin. People, great and small, have struggled with this, both saints and sinners. Intellectually, you probably already know this, but it helps to read about it in a book that you know is written to help you win your struggle. What is best about The Purity Driven Life, in my opinion, is the sincerity with which Mike Maxwell shares his own personal struggles. This book can be a great boon to Christians everywhere.