Grow in Grace and Knowledge

II Pet. 3:17-18

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen

 

 

Peter admonishes the beloved by stirring up their minds by way of remembrance: Take care, Be stable, and Guard against false doctrine. Specifically, he urges believers to remember the prophesies of the prophets and the commandments of the Lord because the end is coming. However, these lawless people will scoff at the prophecies pointing out that Jesus has not come, and things are as they have been from the beginning. Simply because they do not understand the power of the word of God not only in creation but also in salvation, sanctification, and judgment. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 

 

Most assuredly, these lawless people have overlooked one fact, that a day with the Lord is as a 1000 years and a 1000 years as a day. God is not slack concerning His promises or slow in fulfilling His promises, but His patience exists for those He has chosen to repent, believe, and receive His Son. Like a thief, the day of the Lord will come with the heavens and the heavenly bodies burning and dissolving with a roar. Quite the fireworks!

 

The question is: In light of this, what kind of people should believers be? Certainly not people who are fixated on the world and the world's system, but instead people who are pursuing holiness and godliness as they wait for the coming of the Lord. Believers are people of the promises, people whose focus is on the eternal, and people who are diligent to be found without spot or blemish.  You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless people and lose your own stability. Peter exhorts believers to guard against false teaching, to be aware of the promises of God, and to wait eagerly for the Lord. Instead, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The believers' life must be one of growth in grace, the God-given power for life and godliness,  and in knowledge, the result of reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing the Word of God. To Him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen

 

 

Father,

Grow me in Your grace and in the knowledge of You, Your Son, and Your words. I want to be obedient as I pursue a life of godliness. Enlighten my mind and soften my heart so that I can hear the Spirit as He teaches me.

In Jesus name,

Amen