Jackie Hill Perry embarks on the difficult task of trying to explain the holiness of God in language that innately sinful people can understand.

She does this mainly by exploring various aspects of God's character to show how His holiness is expressed in His attributes.

The matter is worthy of contemplation by anyone who desires to know God more but I found the material difficult to get into. If you've ever listened to Ms. Perry speak, you know that she's very lyrical and poetic in the way she expresses herself. Holier Than Thou was true to Ms. Perry's voice and while it's beautiful to hear, it's difficult to read.

The subject of God's holiness  is one that is worth wrestling with and if you love reading poetry or lyrical writing, Holier Than Thou is a great way to explore that topic.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

I like Jackie Hill Perry as a speaker, but as a writer, she's hard to follow. This book seemed very stream of consciousness and didn't connect ideas and Biblical references very well. It just appeared Perry was rambling and not giving practical life application.

I took too long to review this because I had to sip slowly from the richness of this beautiful truth.

I'm not going to lie: I went into this a little 'meh'. I've read several books about the holiness of God and sure, JHP is always good but... you know. No. I was wrong. This book is needed. It's 100% scripture and even quotes from those other books/theologians I've read and yet is fresh, poignant, and gut-wrenching in Perry's beautiful wordsmithing. It's just glorious.

I think I highlighted half the book. Succinct and yet piling image upon image Perry makes sure we GET it. Being full of the Bread of Life means we have no room for idols, including those not-God gods of our own wishful thinking.

"One goal of this work you're holding is to prove that 'if' doesn't belong in front of 'God is holy.' Since He is, ... He can and will be trusted." "[T]he foundation of our idolatry, the sin begetting all others, is a specific belief about God. Our perverse sexual ethics, wild tongue, religious superiority, dark thoughts, legalistic posture, mean ways, impatient moods, greedy antics, intellectual arrogance, and rebellious tendencies come out of what we believe about the living God."

In short, it matters. And we can never be reminded enough of who God is and what that means for us. Hallelujah.

God is holy. We can trust him. Do you believe that? I would never deny that verbally but how often do my actions and unbelief show that I don’t trust him.

I needed this book so much right now. I needed the hard truths (and trust me it is PACKED with straight TRUTH 🔥)

I found myself vigorously taking notes from every other page! There are soooo many quotable passages from this book.

In her signature poetic fashion, Jackie Hill Perry carefully uses scripture to unpack God’s holiness and why we as his children can trust him.

She touches on the idolatry in our hearts that causes us at times to look to other gods and foolishly cling to them as trustworthy.

You cannot read this book without being made aware of our weaknesses and sinfulness and how it shouts that we need a savior.

The Gospel is presented clearly in this book. I found myself in tears and overjoyed just meditating on how holy and merciful God is that he sent Christ to redeem sinners like me and you.

I left this book excited to trust God like I say I do. I left wanting to dig the scriptures deeper, pray more and live out my faith more boldly. Most of all, I left in awe of God.

First sentence: Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” So here I am, writing.

The premise of this one is super simple and straightforward: God is TRUSTWORTHY because God is holy. Or rather God is holy, holy, holy--therefore God is trustworthy. We can trust him in any and every circumstance because of WHO he is.

The first five chapters of Holier Than Thou focus on GOD--his character, his attributes, examples from Scriptures on why God is trustworthy. The last two chapters focus on MAN--how does an UNholy man become holy? What is this doctrine called sanctification? How does one go about "becoming holy" and "being holy"? Her answer is the Holy Spirit from start to finish, essentially. (Though she does point out it is not a passive sitting but a Spirit-filled doing.)

In the introduction she points out that she wrote the book she wanted to read. She, for whatever reason, read up on the subject of holiness--God's holiness and sanctification--and found them lacking in some way? But here's the thing, the best parts of Perry's books are when she is quoting others. She quotes a LOT of Sproul and a LOT of Tozer and a LOT of Charnock.

Perhaps the focus on how holiness relates to God's trustworthiness is more unique to Perry's book than any other book on holiness. But that is the only thing that really makes this unique in any way.

To those less familiar with the subject, this may serve as a good introduction. (I have no doubt it will have an audience.) But if you've read other books on holiness, you will find familiar friends in this one. Because she quotes from all the books you may have already read. In some cases, I could SPOT who she was quoting one or two sentences into a multiple paragraph quote. I could even tell you the book. Keeping things positive, finding old friends helped me feel confident in Perry. If I wasn't familiar with those she quoted, it would be an excellent starting place to go onto read other authors. Another positive, she focused almost exclusively ON SCRIPTURES. This wasn't filled with personal stories, more personal stories, and even more personal stories. She kept God central.

There were definitely some thought provoking statements in this one. For example,

Starting a gospel presentation with “Do you know that you’re a sinner?” is the wrong way to begin. Sinners may very well know that they are such because of their conscience or religious memories, but they will not know why being one should terrify them into silence. When sharing that good, good news, we should—dare I say must—begin with “Did you know that God is holy?” As you travel through the story, then, venturing into necessary subjects like sin and judgment, God is the context by which both land.

When I saw that Jackie Hill Perry was writing a book about God’s holiness, I had to read it. Her voice is so needed in the Christian writer realm. She takes the reader through the importance of understanding God’s holiness and then living out that understanding. I read the book and listened to the audiobook and highly recommend the audiobook! She read it herself and the combination of her poetic voice and powerful words made it an awesome listen.

Holier Than Thou made me worship God as I was reading it because of how God’s goodness through His holiness was on display. I was highlighting left and right due to all of the truth that was being preached and I’m thankful I was able to read it. My view of God is bigger, richer, and more in line with who He is as result of reading this book.

I highly recommend it to anyone walking through a hard season in life. Being reminded of the truth of who God is, is so powerful to a hurting heart and mind.

I received Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry from the publisher. My opinions are my own. #HolierThanThoubook #NetGalley

I should have read the subtitle and known this book was going to hit me smack dab in the middle of my trust issues. It's not a secret that the past few years have led to a dissolution of my trust of other Christians. Thankfully this book reminds me that while people are incredibly problematic, God is not just a 'better version' of humanity, he is holy. Because of his holiness he is trustworthy.

Jackie Hill Perry reminds us that our sin stems from unbelief and thus digs to the root of the rebellion we exhibit on the surface. For believers, our desire to reflect God's holiness often results in a try harder gospel as we desperately try to clean up ourselves. In this book she calls us to turn our face away from our own circumstances and set our sights on God. Nothing we have on earth can compete with the beauty of the Lord; he is beyond comparison. Yet, the reaction of those who have gazed on God's holiness is not first praise, but always an instantaneous self-awareness of their own unworthiness and confession. We must be covered in his righteousness to stand before him.

We are called to 'Be Holy as I am Holy' and it does not come from simply getting our act together but by being transformed by what we behold. Perry delights in gazing at the goodness of God and compels us to look to Him and delight in his beauty in the Word. As we behold his goodness, we come to believe it. As belief roots itself in our minds and hearts our actions are transformed and we become a reflection of his holiness. Moses's face radiated after spending time with the Lord. Psalm 115:8 says that those who make idols will become like them. So, it is with us - we become like what we behold, and we should not be surprised if we look to the world more than to Christ that we look more like it than Jesus.

I'm thankful for this call to rest my delight in looking to the author of my salvation, the holy God. It is not my efforts that transform my life, but His Spirit at work in me. Because He is holy, he is good and ultimately trustworthy.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

I love that this book really is all about God; it's not fluffy. There is a ton of Truth here that reminds Christians of Who God is; I also think it could be helpful for those nonbelievers who want to understand why we Christians believe what we do.

Perry's writing style is more flowery than I like, personally. I also think the book is a tad long for the content. The second half was repetitive and more of a slog for me to get through.

Jackie Hill Perry has a way with words that most people do not. In her incredible book, Holier Than Thou, she dives in to why God is holy, holy, holy, I knew immediately this book would be phenomenal. God is holy, set apart, and worthy of our worship.

I really liked the challenging, practical, and approachable way that Jackie Hill Perry talks about God's Holiness. One of the best books I've read on Holiness in recent years.

Check out my full video review of the book here: https://youtu.be/GKS87VbVBuo

I was provided a free copy of this by @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This short (just under 200 pages) book is packed full of wisdom and truths about God! Delving into what the term "holy" truly means and how God exemplifies being holy, holy, holy!
This is definitely one that I had to take my time with and be completely focused on when reading. Much of the theological language is fleshed out and described pretty clearly for us laypeople!
I definitely felt like I learned a lot and was presented with some concepts in new ways that better helped me understand them. I would frequently stop to discuss different ideas with my husband. We'll definitely be buying a copy so he can read it as well!
It is releasing today, so definitely go out and grab a copy!
#HolierThanThouBook #NetGalley

The holiness of God is one of the themes that attracts many Christians, since we find it impressive to see the Lord in his glory and holy majesty and of who we are before a God as holy as He.

Although it is a captivating subject, however, it seems to us that everything that concerns the holiness of God has already been said. But how wrong that idea is. We need day after day, year after year, to meditate and deepen on the holiness of God.

In her new book titled "Holier Than Thou", Jackie Hill Perry, invites us to see our holy God, but not only from a doctrinal but also a practical sense. Because talking about the holiness of God is not a theological matter reserved for scholars, but is for all who believe in the Lord.

In the seven chapters of this book, Perry shows us that the holiness of God goes beyond our conceptions, and how this attribute is essential to know the character of God. The author writes “to say that God is holy, holy, holy is to say that God is most holy. He is totally holy. Completely holy ”, and this is what makes God different from everything else. Creation, ourselves, are damaged by sin, but not God.

Jackie not only shows us the holiness of God through Scripture and by quoting some authors like Stephen Charnock, but she also makes us see that the holiness of God is a practical matter. What does it produce in us to know that the Lord is holy? In truth, it is very comforting to know it, since we can recognize that in what God does there is no malice or evil against us, unlike the pagan gods who are nothing.

This is a very practical book, which urges us to look at the Lord just like Isaiah, and humble ourselves before Him, and say: You are holy, holy, holy. The reader will find it to be an accessible and enjoyable book to read, with many references to books to help us delve deeper into this topic, and a warm exposition of Scripture.

Hear this: God's words and works can be trusted because it is impossible for God to sin against you. This is the glorious diamond that Jackie Hill Perry examines in Holier Than Thou. Turning it over in her hands, the diamond is the incommunicable attributes of God: his moral perfection, his justice, his love, and more. The chapter on these attributes being most clearly displayed in the person and work of Christ is worth the price of the book alone. Jackie Hill Perry makes much of the Triune God, acknowledging men like Sproul, Tozer, Charnock, Piper, Packer, and Reeves either in the text or in the footnotes for their contribution to her arguing the conclusion that because God's holiness prevents him from sinning against you, he is therefore the most trustworthy being there is. Holier Than Thou is a joyful celebration of God undergirded by a solid theology, guaranteed to ignite the fires of worship in every reader. Buy it. Twice.

A mind-blowing reminder (well, multiple reminders) of who God is and how sidestepping an acceptance of His utter Holiness means you are not worshipping God, but Satan.

This goes immediately into my top ten of Christian books that are essential companions in your walk before God.

In the introduction of her book Holier Than Thou, Jackie Hill Perry explains that while she had read many of the classic books on God's holiness she still had questions and so she set out to write a book on God's holiness that she would want to read and she ended up writing a book that will bless everyone who reads it. The purpose of this book is "to behold. To set our sights on a higher love. To see who Adam hid from, who the psalmists sang to, who the prophets spoke for, who the disciples walked with, and who Jesus made known" (8).

Perry begins by beholding who God is as a holy God and how God's holiness is seen in all of His attributes. She reminds the reader that "in the morning, when the sun stands up and shines on your part of the world, look toward it if you can and know that the Holy God is more brilliant than that" (30). While His brilliance is seen in all of His attributes, Perry focuses on God's righteousness and transcendence to grow the reader's definition of who God is so that it reflects how Christ has revealed Him to us. After giving the reader a full picture of who God she challenges the reader that if they "are brave enough to actually believe that God is who He says He is, we are left with one choice: worship" (50). Before exploring how God's holiness affects the reader's life, she takes the time to acknowledge the temptation which we face to make "a god...in our own image and then expect Him to behave just like us" (76) and the futility in worshiping idols because we are expecting them to "give us what is beyond their reach" (85). Since we "are only able to reflect what [we] have actually seen" (153), Perry finishes her book by reminding the reader of how the Holy Spirit helps them not only see God but "through this vision [of Christ], we are also taught the way of Jesus" (164).

If you have ever heard Jackie Hill Perry speak or rap, you know that she is a gifted communicator who uses words to make ideas come alive, and she writes just like she speaks. An example of this is how she brings to life the experience of Mt. Sinai to show the reader the awe of God's holiness:

This God expects nothing less than an awful* (* "Awful: filled with awe; deeply respectful or reverential" Merriam-Webster) obedience from you and everything else, and you know it. The plagues sit in the back of your mind as a reminder of what kind of King you’re about to meet. One that can use rives and bugs and reptiles and nature itself against you. Like your hands, the mountain shakes. Like your heart, it can’t get still because now, finally, in the midst of the thunder smack, the fire-lit sky, and the trumpet blast, descending on the mountain in fire is God. If you didn’t know it then, you know it now, that this God, this King, is holy. (13)

The entire book is filled with similar moments where Perry helps the reader sit in a concept of God's holiness by pointing out the grandeur of what it means or the comfort or challenge it brings to their life. Her clear, real-world explanations of who God is and her honest reflections on them are a blessing to the reader regardless of if this is the first book they have read on the holiness of God or if they have already read the ones she lists in the beginning of her book. She shows the joy and wonder, as well as the struggle, which one experiences as they learn more about who God is that it is clear to the reader that she is writing from experience with and love for this God.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to know more about who God is as He has revealed Himself in Scripture or who has wondered how knowing God affects their life.

Disclosure: I received this book free from B&H Publishers through their book review program. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Jackie Hill Perry is a teacher who does not "tickle our ears" with what we'd prefer to hear. God commanded, "Be holy, as I am holy". Perry sets out in this volume an explanation of the embodiment of 'God is holy'. How does God's holiness equate with God is Light, God is Love, God is Just, and so on? When we have some understanding of this, then we can aim for holiness, but there is a prerequisite. Perry unravels this with fundamental biblical teaching. One will even sense the holy presence of the Lord as one reads and gains insight. The sound instruction will surely help one grasp some of what "God is holy" means, so that the sincere believer will develop greater holiness and become more like their Heavenly Father.

~Eunice C. Reviewer/Blogger~

August 2021

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given by the publisher.

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Jackie Hill Perry goes deep right off the bat in her new book Holier Than Thou, and I am here for it! God’s holiness is such an important topic and the fundamental aspect of His character, as she lays out so well in the book. Having an accurate understanding of God’s moral purity and transcendence is foundational to how we relate to Him and others. There’s no fluff to be found here, just solid Scriptural teaching that is theologically rich yet relatable and practical. The first part of the book focuses on God’s holiness, and then transitions to sanctification, the process by which the believer beholds Christ and is transformed to reflect His image - His holiness. Whether you are new to faith or have been a Christian for decades, this book will encourage you and help you grow in your faith. I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Visiting a campground on the Canadian shield is a time for trekking along rocky trails along lakes, culminating in perfectly placed cliffs to function as a springboard into the refreshing water.

After the dangers were assessed, the kids were eager to cool off in the stifling summer heat and I made the jump (along with a wild squeal) into the water. Only after a parent was in the water did they feel comfortable to jump.

Why?

Because they trusted me.

They knew if anything happened, I was there. They trusted if they had trouble swimming back, I’d help them. They knew my love and care for them, believed I would look out for them-a simple, yet bold, act of trust.


A similar thing happens in our relationship with the Lord; what we know and believe about him impacts our response and obedience.

Jackie Hill Perry has a new book coming out and it’s all about helping us learn to trust the Lord. How does she approach it? Through the lens of God’s holiness.

In Holier Than Thou: How God's Holiness Helps Us Trust Him, she writes, "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?"

The same way children trust their parents because they know them, have experienced their love and believe they hold their best intentions at heart, is how our Father God has acted toward us, but with unwavering faithfulness and perfect love.

She traces the holiness of God through creation, the fall, and redemption, defines his moral perfection-which illuminates our own sin and exposes the deceit in our hearts-and, describes his transcendence-the infinitely different ‘otherness’ of his character.

Now, this may sound like a lot of technical theological words (which they are) but she breaks it down for us, her readers, in simple, practical language helping us to learn more about the character of God and what it means for us as believers: “because God is holy, all that He says is true and all that He does is good.”

She contrasts the holiness of God and idolatry, “idolators don’t want the real God; they want to be him,” and because the gift of salvation in Christ, a holy vision of our sanctification becomes a real possibility.

This Christ-likeness is an active process. So often, “we have supposed that the way to help people be holy is to just tell them to “stop sinning,” when in fact, lasting transformation is a spiritual consequence of “beholding the glory of the Lord” (2 Cor 3:18).” To believe him and know him we must learn how he has revealed himself to us in the Word.

If you are struggling to trust God and you aren't sure you can, one place to start is by learning more about who he is. God is holy. He's not like us. He doesn't love imperfectly, he doesn't plan haphazardly, and he doesn't stand for sin, ever. “The holy, holy, holy God owes us nothing, but His compassion is what He’s given us anyway” and isn't that just amazing!! The gospel is lifesaving.

This book is seven chapters teaching us about what it means that God is holy. I'd really recommend it!

Quick Stats
# of pages: 208 pages
Level of difficulty: Moderate (for theological concepts) but explained in accessible language
My Rating: 5 stars!

A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to post an honest review!

We know that God is good, and we know he is loving. But when was the last time you really considered his holiness?

In Holier than Thou, Jackie Hill Perry helps us consider and rejoice over the holiness of God. Because it is his holiness—his being “other” than us, his perfect moral purity, his inability to do or be something other than good—that makes him able to be trusted at all times.

Holy Justice was my favorite chapter. A notable quote:

In an attempt to justify their belief that God isn’t antagonistic toward sin, there are those that will say, “God is love.” They most likely don’t realize it but what they’re ultimately claiming is that God is unjust.

Jackie’s voice comes through on the page in her dynamic style, but I suspect this would be even better on audio.

Perry is unlike any other female Christian author out there. She isn’t afraid to go deep and talk about hard things. She is one of the few women in the modern Christian Era that just feels so different in the best kind of way. Her writing carries weight and reminds me of how I view writings of Elisabeth Elliot. This book is powerful as it explores the holiness of God. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read on the subject and had to move through slowly to absorb it all. Couldn’t recommend Perry enough!

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book!