Limitless Word
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,
1 Peter 1:15 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior;
  • KJV But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
  • NKJV but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
  • NASB but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
  • NLT But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Because the God who called them is holy, believers are to be holy in all their conduct. Holiness in every area of life is the fitting response to a holy God's call.

Overview

Peter grounds the call to holiness in God's own character: his people are to mirror the holiness of the One who summoned them. 'In all of your behavior' makes clear that holiness is comprehensive, touching every part of life, not merely religious activity. This pursuit flows from grace and calling, not as a means of earning salvation but as its proper expression.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 31

  • Matt 5:48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
  • 2 Cor 7:1Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
  • Heb 12:14Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
  • Jas 3:13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
  • Eph 5:1–2Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
  • 1 Jn 3:3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.
  • 1 Th 4:3–7For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality;
  • Phil 2:15–16so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
  • 1 Pet 2:12Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
  • 1 Pet 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
  • Phil 1:27Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,
  • Luke 1:74–75deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,
  • Rom 8:28–30And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
  • 2 Pet 3:11–14Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness
  • Heb 13:5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
  • Titus 3:14And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet the pressing needs of others, so that they will not be unfruitful.
  • Rev 3:7To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.
  • Isa 6:3And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”
  • 2 Tim 1:9He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
  • Titus 2:11–14For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
  • Phil 3:14I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
  • Phil 3:20But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
  • 2 Pet 1:3–10His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
  • 1 Tim 4:12Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
  • 1 Th 2:12encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
  • Titus 3:8This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for the people.
  • 1 Pet 5:10And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.
  • 1 Pet 3:16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.
  • Rev 6:10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”
  • Rev 4:8And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
  • Rom 9:24including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Peter videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Peter 1:15YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 PeterMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The lamb without blemish foreknown before the world, who bore our sins in his body on the tree, by whose wounds we are healed — the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.

How 1 Peter 1:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.