“but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”- 2 Peter 3:18, NKJV
In this epistle, Peter sets out to encourage his readers to, above all else, remain steadfast in their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, to be diligent and persevere because God’s Word is trustworthy. He reminds them that he was an eyewitness to all that Jesus said and did. Peter also speaks of false prophets who had come, and who will come. He reminds his readers that just as their doom and destruction are sure, so is the deliverance of the faithful and righteous. His exhortation to persevere in the faith is particularly highlighted in the third and final chapter of this letter, when Peter encourages his readers, reminding them of the promises of God and that He will fulfill His words in His good and perfect timing. Peter speaks of the day of the Lord at which the heavens and earth wil dissolve and a new heaven and new earth will come to be. In light of that day, Peter exhorts his readers to live with a manner of holy and Godly conduct. He warns them of scoffers who will defiantly question God and will twist Scriptures to fit their lusts. Finally, Peter, in verse 18, exhorts his readers to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
This particular verse has been on my mind for a couple of days now, and I wanted to share some things about what God has been speaking to me with regard to this verse. First, we live in much the same age as Peter when he wrote this letter. There are so many false teachers who, as Jude 1:4 puts it, “turn the grace of our God into lewdness”. They twist the Word of God to fit their lusts, and they call evil good and good evil. They water down the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the point that it is essentially null and void because the very cross of Christ has been emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:17) Some teach that Jesus will give you your best life now—giving you financial gain, good health, and will make all your dreams come true if you only believe in Him. Some teach a law of “love” that does not include gentle correction, (James 5:20; Ephesians 4:15; 2 Timothy 3:16), but instead, lead others down the broad road that leads to destruction by not lovingly rebuking that which is clearly defined by God as sinful. These kinds of teachings are in the Church, what is to be the pure and undefiled Bride of Christ! This is why Peter so strongly encourages his readers to remain steadfast in the faith with great diligence. Satan cloaks the lies in truth that makes the lies believable. Jesus Himself said that false prophets would come and attempt to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. (Matthew 24:24)
Peter concludes this epistle with the exhortation to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. I find this phrase to be significant as I reflect upon it more because it says both grace and knowledge. So many believe that if they have knowledge of God’s Word that they are okay with God. However, it is by grace we are saved. (Ephesians 2:8) We are to grow in that grace as well as in the knowledge of Jesus. As we grow in His grace, we will also grow in His knowledge, but a mere head knowledge is not enough. In order to be saved, we must confess Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9) We must acknowledge and confess our sin to God, turn from it and live in a way that is pleasing to God according to His Word. If we truly understand the grace of God, we will not use it as a license to sin. It will transform our lives. This does not mean that we are sinless, but it does mean that we will sin less. As God’s children, we are seen by God through the righteousness of Christ, though we live in these mortal and fleshly bodies while here on earth.
