2 Peter 3:18 “But grow~~in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be [understood imperative] the honor both now and on that eternal day.”
Virtually every profession requires ongoing training. Christians are also to “continually be growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Peter warned his readers about false teachers or prophets who “twist to their own destruction” the teachings of the Scriptures (2 Pet 3:16).
These false teachers tend to be “untaught,” relying on impressions and considering their imaginations as new revelations or prophecies instead of studying the revealed word of God.
They are also “unstable” (Gk. “without being established”), which means they have “the tendency to change and waver in [their] views and attitudes.” This is a characteristic of doubters (James 1): unstable people doubt the character and sufficiency of God as He is revealed in Scripture.
False teachers always seek new revelation, dissatisfied with the Bible alone.
The command “to always be continually growing” means “to grow to the extreme limit, to advance.” We must perpetually increase in two areas. First, we are to grow in the “grace…of our Lord.”
The word grace has broad meanings. In a context of salvation, it is the grace of God, the basis of God’s acceptance of undeserving sinners who respond to His salvation offer through faith (Eph 2:8). It enables God to love the despicable sinner: “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).
Second, we are to rely daily on His grace and find it sufficient. Through Him, we can overcome undesirable situations, physical conditions, or poor responses from difficult people. When Paul prayed for God to heal his physical condition, God said, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9).
Paul prayed for relief three times and received the same response, thus he had to grow in God’s grace and acceptance to adjust to his condition. Our willingness to accept undesirable circumstances is part of our new attitude as we become like Him. He becomes all we need.
We are also to “be growing in the…knowledge of our Lord,” which Peter earlier saw as the result of learning more about God: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet 1:2).
If you are established in the knowledge of the faith, you are protected from being misled by false teachers. Are you growing in “grace and knowledge” of Christ?
“Dear Father, I want to be willing to endure any adverse circumstance You send my way so that I may grow in Your grace. Only through extensive knowledge of Your word is that kind of growth possible. Thank You for allowing me to depend on Your help as I seek to know You.”