« Back to Issue 52

Pure - Sex & Relationships God’s Way

Reviewed by Matt Rowe.

In a world that is dominated by sex and relationships, Pure (first published in 2005, reprinted 2010) is a well thought out, well written and practical guide to how we as Christians and in particular young adults may live pure and holy lives, not just as boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, but also as singles.

Linda Marshall is clearly very aware of many of the issues facing people on a daily basis and applies the Bible to all these situations whether that’s individuals who are struggling with the extent that they may express their relationships with each other once they are going out, individuals struggling with issues of lust and holy living, singleness or homosexuality.

However, in addition to considering the biblical teaching surrounding the relationships, there is also plenty of practical advice. This advice is not only from a female perspective, but also includes factors for men to consider as well. For example, guys need to be aware of how ‘touchy-feely’ we are with members of the opposite sex as girls tend to read this as a way of flirting. On the other hand, ladies need to consider how they dress. Men are a lot more visually stimulated and therefore, what may be a boring bra strap to you, is a whole kettle of excitement for men!

One of the things I really appreciate about this book is that it acknowledges things don’t always go to plan. Within the introduction to the book, Linda writes, “Forty percent of Christian students have experienced genital intercourse, oral sex or mutual masturbation.” In a society that is so sex orientated, I am not surprised by this statistic. However, Linda doesn’t leave the topic at simply identifying the issue. Rather, a whole chapter is dedicated to “pure forgiveness”, where Linda looks at how we can cope with areas of our lives where we have strayed from how God wants us to live.