55. Holier Than Thou

Holier Than Thou: How God's Holiness Helps Us Trust Him. Jackie Hill Perry. 2021. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]

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.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible