God’s command in 1 Peter 1:16 to “be holy, for I am holy” is an intimidating thought and task.
How can I possibly be holy like God? In order to understand God’s command for us, we must first come to an understanding of what it means for God to be holy. God’s holiness is more than Him being a little smarter or a little better than we are! God’s holiness is more than God being a little different or more powerful than human beings. In fact, the word literally means “separated or cut away from.” It is the idea of being unique or one of a kind. Most of the time when Israel got in trouble, it was because they had forgotten the “uniqueness and holiness” of God. He is totally separate and unique in power and purity.
The command to be holy means that our lives should reflect the Holy God that we worship. It should show up in our devotion and our adoration of Him. To be sure, this command is indeed intimidating. In fact, Peter indicated that we are in a battle every day to live out a holy life. In today’s passage, Peter tells us the motivation and the power to “be holy as He is holy.”