What does it mean to grow in grace?

Now, we have been forewarned. Thus we are forearmed against the error of the wicked, lest we should fall. The error of the wicked was fully exposed in 2 Peter 2. It is not enough however to be warned against evil; we must be in the positive enjoyment of truth. The way not to go back is to go on. Like a man on a bicycle, the Christian must go on if he would avoid falling off. Hence we must "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

This word just summarizes the main teaching of the Epistle. Spiritual growth was the great theme of 2 Peter 1 and to it the apostle returns in his closing words. All true growth is in grace, the grace of God. Then as we expand in grace we grow in graciousness of spirit. All true growth too is in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, in whom the grace of God has reached us.

How precious a preservative in v.18: Growing in grace is in contrast to a legal attitudes it involves deeply learning and valuing the grace of God in Christ Jesus, grace which lifts one above the level of all the surrounding evil. And this is of course vitally connected with the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The better we know Him, the more firmly. our feet shall be kept in the path of devoted obedience. Precious object indeed to fill our hearts both now, and for eternity! -- consistent with the endurance of His own glory. The lest expression is rightly translated, "both now and to the day of eternity." cf.vs.10 & 12.

But the apostle closes still with the word of warning. We are to account, as he reminds us again, that the longsuffering of the Lord is salvation. That is His meaning in it. It is not tolerance of evil in any wise, and we must not use it as an argument for any tolerance on our part of what is contrary to Him. The fruit of this longsuffering we are, every one of us: therefore we may well rejoice in it. And Peter has here a tender reference to that beloved brother, Paul, to whom the gospel of salvation was in an eminent way committed. It is the only passage, perhaps, in the New Testament in which we find the commendation of one inspired apostle by another. How suited here, where there had been, as we know, for a moment an apparent breach, which men have worked, after their manner, into a strife between two contradictory systems — Christian both, and which had finally, by some way of compromise, to be brought together and welded into one. Peter's words here are surely intended in divine wisdom to meet any such thought, and the very letter to the Hebrews is what Peter refers to in this case. "According to the wisdom given unto him," he says, he "hath written unto you." Yet here, above all, were, as we know, some of those things hard to be understood which would be found especially by Jews, more or less, in all his epistles. That does not, in Peter's eyes, evidently, diminish the wisdom of them. There are those who wrest them to their own destruction, but they have to wrest them in order to this, and those who do so are the untaught and ill established — the people who, therefore, have not bent their hearts really to the establishing truth, and have not submitted their souls to the discipline of it. Destruction could not come otherwise to any from the blessed Scriptures, the witnesses of the fulness of God's love for men; yet even those truly His might need the admonition. God works in this way, by His admonitions; and the apostle bids them, knowing these things before, to beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, they fall from their own steadfastness. He returns in his last words here, to that with which he had begun the epistle. If they would not fall or be carried away, they must "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." They must learn more and more the grace expressed in Christ; for growth in grace is surely, on the other side of it, but growth in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour. In that knowledge he has told us at the beginning, all things are found that pertain to life and godliness. "To Him," therefore, "be glory, both now and forever."*

Growth, then, is a question of character. As we grow we are moulded more and more into conformity to CHRIST.

We are brought into all the favour of God now; but let us ever remember it is in Him, and through His death. Thus the marvels and the joys of this reconciliation will more and more fill our hearts as they give pre-eminence to Him. All is ours “in Him,” through His death! and God grant that one outcome of these times of refreshing may be that we truly know the Lord Himself a little better than we did before, and therefore rest in the fact that “the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” If so, if we have got a little deeper view of His grace and glory, it will stimulate us to increasingly seek a deepening knowledge of Himself, and thus we shall respond to the exhortation of the Spirit, “Grow in Grace” (this will keep us right as to our state beloved!), and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (that will keep us right objectively). “To Him be glory both now and for ever, Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

(2 Peter 3:18,) "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Oh, let Christ be the One that is kept before your heart and mind, growing daily in the practical knowledge of what His favour is! The special truth of any dispensation is always the chief point of attack on Satan's part. Let us remember this, for the devil detected is always the devil defeated. What then can keep our hearts? Christ, and nothing but Christ. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, says Peter. They are good and holy words.

The food of the Christian is in one word — CHRIST — "increasing in (or 'by,' see margin R.V.) the knowledge of God " (Col. 1:10 ) — and since it is in Christ that God is known to us Peter puts it, "Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

All true believers know our Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Saviour most surely; but it is, nevertheless, of the utmost importance that we should all go on to know Him better. Our spiritual prosperity will be ensured thereby. Indeed, we are exhorted, as those who are beloved of God, to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” It is as we thus increase in the knowledge of Him, that grace and peace are multiplied to us (2 Peter 1:2). Grace has justified and saved us; peace is ours; but an abundant multiplication of grace and peace is open to us in the knowledge of Him.

Growth in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, will always express itself, in this world, in meekness and humility, and in an ever-increasing devotedness to His glory. In proportion, moreover, as we are like Christ, He will possess our hearts, and we shall be waiting for His return.

If there be not this blessed adding, there is sure to be a going back, for there is no such thing as standing still. If we are not progressing, we are retrograding. "Unto every one that has, shall be given … but from him that has not, shall be taken away even that which he has." If there be not the desire to press on, to go on with the Lord, what is there? There is only a returning to the things from which the Lord called us out in days gone by. The Lord give us to have diligence of heart in thus adding to our faith, and progressing in the knowledge of Himself.