There is a well known command in 1 Peter where God demands “Be holy as I am holy.” That can be a challenging command. A statement about God in the book of Revelation can provide some *clears throat* revelation to this seemingly insurmountable requirement. Revelation 15:4 says this about God, “You alone are holy.” Who can be as holy as God? Only God. No one else.

This reminds me of Jesus’s statement in John 15: “Without me you can do nothing.” No matter how disciplined you are, how religious, how passionate, or how good and moral you are, it is all nothing unless Jesus does it through you. Righteousness that you do is not just self-righteousness. It is not-righteousness. Only Jesus does righteousness. Everything else is nothing.

Paul refers to the same idea when he says, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” Then he adds a few sentences later, “I worked harder than anyone but it was not me working. It was the grace of God working in me.” Paul believed that everything of value with God and for God that occurred in His life was worked in his life by God. Not just by God though, by God’s grace. God works every meaningful or holy thing in our life by grace. He does his work as a free, unearned lavish gift.

So, be holy like God is holy… through the work of his grace as He works in you.