holy and righteous

In our virtual church gathering on Zoom a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about this passage in 1 Peter 1:

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Our conclusion was that our holiness is an artifact of our intimacy with God, not our mitigation of sin.

In my daily Bible reading plan, I have been recently reading some of the prophets in the Old Testament (e.g., Ezekiel) that were informing the Israelites that God was judging them because they were not faithful to Him.  There is quite a bit about them being unrighteous.  So, I have been wondering about the difference between holiness and righteousness.

A quick search of verses that include both words revealed a few interesting passages, especially John the Baptizer's dad's prophecy in Luke 1:

68 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

    in the house of his servant David

...

74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

    and to enable us to serve him without fear

75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Here are a few other interesting combinations:

Acts 3:14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.

Romans 6:19  ... Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

Ephesians 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Revelation 19:8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)

Currently, I am thinking that holiness and righteousness are different in that holiness has more to do with us being set apart for God and righteousness has more to do about our behavior, perhapse related to Jesus's statement to the Samaritan woman at the well about how we worship God in Spirit and in truth.  And it seems to me that holiness promotes righteousness, but not necessarily the other way around.

Father, I love you.  Thank you for allowing me to approach you.  Thank you for making me your son and always welcoming me to come to you.  I want to be holier.  And I want to be more righteous.  I want my lifestyle to honor you.  Jesus, thank you for being our example of holiness and righteousness.  Holy Spirit, you are very good at being holy, so please help me be holier.  And I want to listen to you every moment so that I always do what honors you and never what dishonors you.  I love you.