Holier Than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him

This book is very short, which makes it a dense read. It's easier to get through if you listen to it. However, the topics discussed are hard to digest given their conciseness. Jackie does a great job with using biblical facts to justify her statements. It was poeetically written, well researched, and scripture rich. I would read it again.

Incredibly written with an engaging poetic tone! I learned so much from this book and it will be one I reach for again and again! It’s also a perfect study tool for understanding some of the foundations of the Christian Faith by way of a Holy God.

Holier Than Thou gives proper perspective on the holiness of God, how He cannot be comprehended by us, but also how His attributes allow us to fully trust Him. It tackles misconceptions we might have about holiness that make it unpopular. Holiness : not just something imposed on us by fear of the consequences (stick motivation with a secret desire to escape), but something to be deeply desired through the fear and awe inspired by our holy God. We often transfer our dissappointment with humans to God, even though His behaviour is none like ours. « when God reveals Himself as our heavenly parent, a faithful friend, and our Lord, we don’t relinquish control, surrendering our wills because we’ve mistakenly projected onto God the nature of those who have sinned against us » The popular concept that God is your friend needs to be balanced with the awe and personal sanctification due to a holy God. I love the way the author revisits encounters with the holy One – blessed be He - in the Bible, making those stories come alive and yield relevance for us. « simply being in proximity to God creates a moral self-awareness in Isaiah and others », « their hearts and their nature were laid bare and exposed to the light ». Notice the word used thrice. It isn’t “love, love, love” or “good, good, good” but “holy, holy, holy.” It was eye-opening to read the commentary on Uzzah, the priest who died trying to keep the ark of the covenant from falling. The author ends with the practical way to personal holiness : it's found in 2 Corinthians 3.18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” It is the act of beholding (!) that transforms us into His image. « Desiring God above all things is the soil from which holiness is grown. »