What a wonderful book! I loved the theme and content. Jackie is amazing at speaking truth and giving examples and scripture. I also think that her insights and story telling abilities are excellent.

Jackie Hill Perry wrote another fantastic book, this time on God's holiness. While being theologically deep, her prose is poetic. Her words stay with you, causing you to reflect and think throughout the day on God. I highly recommend this book to any who want to grow deeper.

Way unpopular opinion…I’ll be honest- I didn’t love this book. Something about her writing is very hard for me to follow. There are good nuggets about God’s holiness that I have tucked away but all in all I don’t know if I’d pick up another Jackie Hill Perry book. 😬 BUT I did insanely appreciate the amount of scripture woven through this book to bring home her points and show us through scripture the holiness of God.

Jackie is a gift. She has a mind that studies deeply and a heart that desires to know and love God more. What a blessing to have it shared with us in this new volume, focused on the beauty of God's holiness and its implications for our lives. Jackie writes with a poetic flow that draws the reader in and speaks to the heart of the matter, inviting us to see God as He is and be changed as we trust the only one who is without sin. It's a call in to love, to belief, to holiness, in response to the good holiness of God.

“If God is holy, then He can’t sin. If God can’t sin, then He can’t sin against me. If He can’t sin against me, shouldn’t that make Him the most trustworthy being there is?” — Jackie Hill Perry dives deep into the holiness of God. We know He is holy, we sing about his holiness — but do we really understand it? Holier Than Thou is a quick read but packed full of scripture. The writing is lyrical (if not a little flowery at times), but the information is easy to understand. This topic is too often skipped over or downplayed, so this book provides a great look into the attribute that sets God apart from all others.

Full of scripture. I appreciate the posture of the author, as a learner first. God doesn't act holy, he is holy. A very focused read on the topic.

I'm a big fan of Jackie Hill Perry's writing and podcast, so I had high hopes for this read. This book had a lot of good and engaging content in it,, but in my opinion it was written in the wrong format. This read a lot more to me like it was meant to be a devotional, where reader's immerse themselves in the biblical text, while Perry adds her observations in a devo form. It felt like too many words to say a couple of good and insightful things throughout. There were many moments I struggled to track with all the points being made and I did not get a sense that there was an underlying outline or greater focus that allowed for the text to succinctly make its points. I found myself saying, "Yes I agree! But what about that?" quite a bit. The biggest element that I appreciate about Perry is her close attention to scripture, and since this was such a deep dive into scripture, I felt like it would have been better to have Perry's points as additional commentary versus it's own separate book.

I am so thankful for this book. Extremely lyrical, Perry's voice is one of a kind. So much thought-provoking and biblical wisdom in here about the idea of holiness and how God's holiness sets Him apart and how beholding His holiness and glory should change our lives. Especially loved the last chapter about seeing God as the only thing worthy of our lives and who could ever satisfy us. Felt repetitive at times, but overall recommend

You can find this review in Spanish here: https://somossoldados.org/resena-el-dios-santo/

Who can we trust?

Have you ever wondered: Who can I trust? I do. Many times. In a world stained by sin, where everything collapses and nothing is forever, where betrayal, deceit, manipulation, and idolatry are the order of the day, where bad news fills the tabloids: it is a real relief to remember that there is only one good, holy, trustworthy God who sustains my life. That is what this book is about, the Holy nature of God, above all else, the human, the captivating, and the fallible.

Is another book on Holiness necessary?

Does one more content on the holiness of God seem excessive to you? Will some attempt or effort be enough to encompass all that He is? I applaud the collaboration and interest of current authors, such as Jackie, to learn from the scholars of yesteryear, the fathers of the faith, theologians, and time-tested writers, so that the current generation can know them as well and benefit from their contents, which perhaps otherwise would not happen. I am glad that the young author takes the challenge to write about such profound themes, such as the holiness of God. This book is different from others of hers. I hope that many will also take the time to read the Word and who you quote, it is worth it.

Is it possible to capture the Holiness of God in a book?

Trying to capture the greatness of God in a book are big words. I consider any person who embarks with his pen and letters to such sublime, infinite and eternal territories as daring. It requires fortitude and humility to know that his words will not cover everything, but still be willing to take the challenge of turning the spotlight on Him, once again, and go through the biblical passages that open our eyes to the essence of His nature, on a journey of holiness revealed in creation, in the fall and in redemption.

What do our beliefs about the holiness of God have to do with our daily lives?

Several premises and reasonings of Jackie Hill Perry revolve around the phrase of AW Tozer "What comes to mind when we think of God is the most important thing in us." She argues that people always act based on what they believe about God, that the foundation of idolatry, the sin that it engenders, and the idols that you choose to put in their place make it necessary to go to the roots of our beliefs, to empty ourselves of everything. and fill ourselves with Him, live gratefully and according to His Holiness.

The author draws our attention to how "the soil on which all sin grows is unbelief", and stresses that " the foundation of our idolatry, the sin that begets all other sins, is a specific belief about God." When we understand the holiness of God, compared to people, that affects how we think of Him and determines our behavior and God consequences. That is why it is important to analyze our beliefs in light of the Bible.

About the book and its style.

"The Holy God" is a book is short and digestible. In seven chapters, it deals with various current, useful and practical topics in light of the holiness of God. You will read about moral perfection, transcendence, Idolatry, Holy Justice, Holy Vision and Contemplation that leads us to appreciate the holiness of God. Each chapter helps to understand the nature of God in comparison to ours, offering reasons to trust Him and grow in our relationship and dependence, enjoy His Holy Justice and yearn to live in holiness as well, in the end, to be able to see Him as He is. .

Jackie's style is biblical, interesting, and profound. Amid his short stories and quirky humor, he sows pearls of wisdom. Its sharpness is enjoyed, which feels so sharp in some paragraphs. The translation is very good, to my liking I prefer to read in the author's language, since it seems to me that the musicality and cadence of words is more appreciated. Being an artist of spoken poetry, you will notice that she has a peculiar cadence. The style of the authors may change as the years go by, but the eternal truths, character, faithfulness, and holiness of God are immovable and inscrutable.

Who can benefit from this reading?

I believe that this book can be useful for people of any gender and age, students or teachers, especially for:

-People whose trust and faith have been inconsistent due to various disappointments in their lives, who need to remember that God does not fail and is trustworthy.

-People whose faith has perhaps grown cold and need their wonder for God to awaken.

-People are absorbed in various idols that distract and want to destroy.

-People who already love, serve and desire God, and want to make Him known to others.

Throughout each page of "The Holy God," you will find the enormous beauty of God compared to an idol. His holiness makes him unique, therefore he is our justice and hope. It is my hope and prayer that this reading will help us to remain absorbed before his incomparable Holiness.

He is Holy, Holy, Holy.

And if you also ask yourself today, I remind you: Yes, we can trust him.

This book is something that is very needed today. I don't feel like God's holiness is emphasized enough. Easy to understand, yet not written for dummies either. One thing I didn't quite agree with, at least not the word used--rage instead of wrath (God's). Otherwise, a very insightful and biblical book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy! All opinions are entirely my own.

This was a great read to focus on the holiness of God. We often talk of God's holiness but don't mediate on that reality and what that means and how it shapes our lives. Jackie Hill Perry works to paint a biblical picture of God's holiness and how because he is holy we can worship him in body, soul, mind, and strength.

Holier Than Thou: How God's Holiness Helps Us Trust Him by Jackie Hill Perry 


When we think about God, many times we use our own experiences and life struggles to define Him. "...what we believe about God will determine how we behave…" We don't see him as Holy. We don't fully understand Holy. 


Holiness. What is it? What does it mean? What makes God Holy? What does the Bible say about God and his Holiness? 


These are questions Jackie attempts to answer. In her human understanding, and ours, this book digs into scripture to explain God's Holiness. She digs into why God is holy and some characteristics that emphasize his Holiness. She explains how idolatry steals Holiness from God. There are chapters on God's justice and the Holy Spirit.


Jackie emphasizes that God is different than we are; and each of us, because our limited understanding and sinful nature, bring God down to our level. "Using our life as a cross reference, exegetical God with our world, we inevitably end up with a God made in our image and then expect him to behave like us."


 But he is so much more that we can imagine. He is more than us. He is different because he is holy. 


There are so many Scripture references peppered throughout the book that you can tell Jackie wants you to first go to God's own word to learn about his Holiness. This book reads like a conversation. Like a lesson being taught. Like Jackie is sitting in front of you speaking these truths right to you. 


I really loved it. Many things I learned in this book changed my heart and how I view God. One specific section of Scripture I never really understood was made clear to me in this book. (2 Samuel 6) I finally understand God's justice and his Holiness in this passage. 


*Disclaimer: We will never completely understand God's Holiness. We can't because we are unclean (not holy) because of our sin nature. But Scripture tells us about God and who He is, and this book digs into that. 


Another note: if you have never heard Jackie speak, you've missed out. She has such a gift. She has become a favorite.

Jackie Hill Perry has a compelling message, and she has dug deep in her study and preparation for HOLIER THAN THOU. No reasonable person would argue against God’s holiness as a formative attribute, but most of us have an incomplete grasp of God’s infinite worth and how his holiness should shape the way we think about God, relate to God, and trust him in our everyday life.

In her stentorian writing voice, Perry helped me to see that God’s holiness is far richer than moral purity. Since the root of the word “holy” implies cutting or separation, it points to God’s complete other-ness. He is in a category alone in that he is uncreated, completely sovereign, and utterly immutable.

Every single attribute of God is infused with holiness, which is great news, for God’s holiness stands as ultimate reassurance that he will never sin against me. All his work is good, for “God himself is the standard by which all right and wrong is determined,” and in the moments when that does not appear to be so, it is my own perspective that needs altering.

Jackie Hill Perry's book Holier Than Thou provides thought-provoking commentary on a theological subject not often considered by Western Christians, myself included: holiness. While we Christians love to wax poetic about the love offered by Jesus, in the process we miss many of the other aspects and dimensions of God's essence to the point of diminishing Him in our own eyes. Hill Perry tackles this issue in a fairly straightforward and precise manner and is able to eloquently link multiple complex theological ideas in a way that is easy for a lay Christian to understand. JHP has her finger on a lot of the issues plaguing the Western Church and offers biblical advice and insight in understanding how we can understand the holiness of God and improve our relationship with Him. I enjoyed this book and look forward to sharing it with many Christian friends who will find it useful in their own lives.

This is the kind of book that you could read in a sitting (or two) but that will stick with you for a long time. I really enjoy following Jackie Hill Perry on social media, and when I saw that she wrote a book about God's holiness, I was so excited to get an advanced copy! If you don't follow Perry on social media, her writing might seem wordy and confusing, but I found myself reading this in her voice. Because the sentence structure makes more sense if you read it as though someone is speaking, I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had listened to it on audiobook (which I believe she narrates).

Perry relies heavily on Scripture in this book, and I really appreciated the way that she explained, drew connections, and looked to the original text (even sometimes in Greek). You can tell that this book was well researched and prayed over. If God is holy, then he is wholly trustworthy and wholly deserving of my life.

I must confess I didn't quite finish this, BUT. I wanted to praise Jackie's gorgeous writing style as always...this is a much-needed book in our world packed with so many truths about our God!

Eye-opening and comprehensive, Jackie Hill Perry provides readers with a wealth of information and challenge to grow beyond our limited understanding and response to a holy God. Both profound and relatable, Hill's writing spotlights that our entire foundation of faith is rooted into the need for a deep grasp of how God is supremely holy and wholly other and separate from humans.

**Note: several quotes are from the writing of John Piper.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

Holier Than Thou, the new Jackie Hill Perry book is seven chapters on what it means for God to be holy. What does holy mean? What does it mean for God to be holy? What does it look like when we truly treat God as holy, when we truly believe that He is who He says He is. This is a book about learning about sanctification (transformation). If you are yearning to know more about the holiness of God, this is a good book to add to your reading list. It wasn't a long read, it stayed on topic, it was practical and not too academic in its text. I found it an interesting read.

Jackie Hill Perry does not hold back in her new book. She is a gifted writer and speaker. I loved that she picked the Holiness of God for her new book. Her message is one I will continue to mediate on. It is also one I needed to hear. That God's holiness is why we can trust Him. I am quick to look at myself and my circumstances. Jackie helps us to take that focus off ourselves and see God's holiness. This is one you need to get.

"Being in God's company didn't inspire praise first but confession. A depth of self-awareness accompanied with real life fear. God was holy and they were not". (see Luke 5:8, Isaiah 6:5)

Jackie is full of wisdom and her writing has a strong foundation in scripture, making many references to the Bible. If you want a fresh perspective and want to appreciate God's holiness more I would recommend this book!