2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11: Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12: Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13:  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14: Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15: And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16: As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17: Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Introduction

As we begin this new year, 2021, it would be good for us to stop and think about our lives and see if we have made some progress. Business owners at the end of the year take inventory. As Christians, we need to stop and ask ourselves “Did I grow in my walk with God in this past year?” “Did I make some progress in my spiritual life before God?” Some of you may have been saved recently. After you get saved, God expects you to grow, to develop and to mature. 

Living creatures grow—whether they be plants, animals, or humans. Growth is not only a normal part of our existence, but it is expected. Babies are cute and cuddly. But we don’t want them to stay babies for ten years, or twenty years, or thirty years. We want them and expect them to grow. We know that there are no twenty-year-old babies. But there are twenty-year-old, forty-year-old, sixty-year-old grown-up men and women who often act like babies. If we meet a grown-up man but still wearing baby diaper and acting like a baby, we don’t say, “O how cute!” No, we say, “That’s weird,” because something obviously is wrong with the person.

As we expect babies to grow up, God expects His children to grow up and mature spiritually. We are to grow. Many Scriptures describe the need to grow and mature spiritually such as:

Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Here the apostle Paul urges us to be no longer children but grow up in Christ in all things.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

The apostle Paul rejoices and thankful knowing that Thessalonians are growing exceedingly in faith.

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

Paul prayed for their love to abound, to grow more and more.

So, today consider with me Peter’s encouragement to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us consider this encouragement in four headings, namely, the Mandate, the Means, the Measure, and the Motivation.

I – The Mandate to Grow

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

This is not a suggestion; this is a command. This is a command that calls us believers to make this our constant and conscious pursuit. Why is it important for us believers to have the pursuit of spiritual growth as our lifestyle? Why? Because if we are not growing, we are in danger of falling. This is Peter’s warning in our text …

2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Here, Peter reminds his readers that they have been forewarned about evil men—false teachers and scoffers. How they had success in causing others to go astray and believe their error. He warns them from being carried away with error and lose their stability and fall. And the way to avoid being led astray is to grow. The secret from not falling is growth. This is how we are kept from falling, from growing cold, from becoming lukewarm, from backsliding, from drifting away from the things of God. We must constantly grow or else we will fall. 

Trees with shallow roots are easily uprooted. This is not to say that a true believer can lose his or her salvation. No, those who are truly saved are secured in Christ. They can never lose their salvation. But if a believer does not grow, his roots can become “loosened” and he can be easily carried away with every wind of doctrine and he become unstable in his life. The only way to prevent falling is to grow; the tree that grows will not fall over.

We must constantly make progress or else we will fall. Christian life is also like riding a bicycle – either you keep moving forward or you fall. Have you ever tried riding a bike standing still? It is hard to do. When you are riding a bike, you must move forward, or you will fall. 

Just as a tree that is rooted and grounded deep in the soil, will not be easily uprooted and fall, a believer rooted and grounded in God’s grace, grows and stays healthy and stable and does not get blown over by false teaching. So, the remedy to and protection from deception and destruction is growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ. This is the reason this command is so important. And by the way this is a twofold command, the first part is grow in grace; the second part is grow in knowledge.

1. Grow in Grace

What does it mean to grow in grace? First, understand that to grow in grace doesn’t mean that we get more grace from God.  No! In 1 Timothy 1:14, it says that the grace of our Lord is exceedingly abundant. We already have all the grace we need from Him. He supplied all the grace we needed to be saved. He supplies all the grace we need every day to walk with Him and to do His will. His grace is more than sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

To grow in grace is synonymous to sanctification. To grow in grace is to mature as a Christian. To grow in grace is to increasingly manifest the fruit of the Spirit in one’s life such as enumerated in Galatians 5:22-23, which are qualities like love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

To grow in grace is to grow in virtue, patience, a spirit of forgiveness, and usefulness. To grow in grace is to increase in love for the things which the Lord Jesus Christ loves, such as the church and the lost. And ultimately, to grow in grace means to become more and more like Jesus Christ and reflect His perfection in our lives.

Isn’t this the ultimate goal of salvation? 

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Isn’t this the ultimate reason why God is causing all things to work together for our good? God is causing all things to work together for our good that we might be conformed to the image of His Son.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

The ultimate goal of salvation is to conform us to the image of God’s Son; to be like Christ in holiness and character.

2. Grow in Knowledge

Now let’s look at the second part of this command, which is grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Growth in grace and growth in knowledge are closely related with each other. The way to grow in grace is to know more of Christ. In fact, we cannot grow in grace unless we at the same time are growing in our knowledge of Christ. The more you know the Saviour, the more you become sanctified. The more you know the Saviour, the more you will manifest the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance in your life.

This is how we grow in grace. This is how we grow into maturity. This is how we become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. How do we become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ in holiness and character? It is to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! The knowledge of God and the knowledge of Christ is very essential to Christian growth. 

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10: That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Paul expresses his desire for Christians to grow spiritually. If we want to grow as a Christian, we must grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Right here is why many Christians are not making much spiritual growth over the course of their lives after they initially get saved—it’s because they are not seeking after the knowledge of God and of His Christ that will cause this spiritual growth to occur in the first place.

Understand, the key to becoming more like Christ is …

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3: And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

If you want to grow in grace seek to know Christ more.

II – The Means of Growth

Understand that spiritual growth is the work of God. Just as you cannot add to your physical height so you cannot cause your spiritual growth. Clearly it is the work of God, but God works through means. There are means for spiritual growth.  What are these means?

1. We must do things that would bring about growth

First, we must eat the right food. There must be spiritual nutrients. At the top of the list of the means of growth is the private reading of the Word of God and private prayer. The apostle Peter speaks about this in, 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, [like a newborn babe] desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

First of all, if you want to grow spiritually you must be committed to the Word of God. This is your life and strength as a believer. You must be convinced that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

God also instituted the church as the essential and the chief means of the taking in the Word of God. In  Ephesians 4:11-12, we are reminded that although today we no longer have apostles and prophets, we have evangelists, pastors, and teachers to teach us God’s Word, to help us grow to maturity, to build us up. Be committed to hearing God’s Word whether in private or public setting.

We must remember that the early Christians did not have printing press which means not everyone had a copy of the Word of God, not like we do today. And yet despite this, the early Christians were devoted to the Word of God. They found ways to expose themselves to the Word of God, by public reading and teaching of the word of God. The early church was devotedly committed to the renewing of their minds through the Word of God.

Furthermore, remember also that the early church did not have buildings to hold their worship services and yet they found ways to gather to worship and hear God’s Word. Today, with the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we are not able to gather in person for worship, but praise God for the technology we have we are still able to virtually gather and learn the Word of God together. Oh, don’t let the present pandemic cause you to stop reading and hearing God’s Word.  Be committed to the Word of God, privately and publicly.

If you want to grow spiritually you must feed on the Word of God. Spiritual growth comes, by doing things that would bring growth—the Word of God, prayer and fellowship with God’s people in the Word. You can pray all you want for God to help you grow spiritually but if you are not seriously attending to these means of grace your prayer will not be answered.

2. We must avoid all that is harmful to growth

Not only must we do things that would bring about growth, but we must also avoid all that is harmful to growth. If you want your baby, your toddler to grow, you must put away poisons out of your house.  If you want your plant to grow, you keep deadly poisons or weeds away from that plant. Avoid what is harmful to the life of the child or the plant. 

What is true in the physical world, is also true in the spiritual realm.  There are things that are very harmful.  It is what the Bible calls “the world.” To young people there are five greatest temptations: music, friends, internet, video games and television. If you are to grow spiritually you must be careful about these things. Put away temptations from your life. Stay away from pornography, worldly music, ungodly friends, ungodly video games, etc. 

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

So, if you are to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ you must do things that would bring about growth and avoid all that is harmful to growth.

III – The Measure of Growth

How do you measure Christian growth? In the physical realm we measure growth by their height, mind, and intellect. We also evaluate a person’s growth and maturity by a person’s level of independence. The older the person grows, the more he becomes independent. The more he has the ability to do things on his own, without his mother or father’s assistance. This may be true in the physical realm, but this is not so in the spiritual realm. Christian growth is not measured by height, mind, intellect or independence. The sign of growth in a Christian is that the older he gets in his Christian life, the more dependent he or she upon the Lord. His communion with God and dependence upon God deepens. The more he becomes mature in his walk with God, the more he becomes dependent upon His God. And how does this dependence upon God show? It shows by how much time he spends in Bible reading, prayer, faithfulness in church attendance and fellowship with God’s people.

Are you growing spiritually? Are you growing in your love for God and the things of God? If you are not growing, why not?  You should be worried just as a mother would be worried about her child not growing. Ask the Lord to help you grow spiritually and take the means of grace seriously in your life.

IV – The Motivation to Grow

Why should we strive to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Our aim in growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is not so that we can feel happier or more fulfilled or more significant. Rather, our lives should exalt Jesus Christ, so that through us others may see how great and glorious He truly is. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). He alone is worthy!

The more we grow in knowledge, the more we grow in grace, and the more we grow in grace, the more glory we bring to God.

Closing Thoughts

Let’s look at our texts one last time.

2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

These closing words of Peter to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ imply two things.

1. It implies that we are alive by grace

The implication is that we are alive by grace and therefore, capable of growth. Dead things cannot grow. Growth is the evidence of life. In other words, it means that we are already been made alive in Christ by the grace of God. It implies that we already have received the life that is offered in Christ Jesus by faith. Are you alive in Christ? Have you come to Christ for life? If you have not, this twofold command to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ is not for you. The command to you for now is to believe on His name.

John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that you might have life.

2. It implies that we are not perfect in grace

The second implication is that for those who are already alive in Christ by grace through faith, need to grow. There is plenty of room for growth. Regardless of how long you have been a Christian you never stop to grow.  We all need to grow. It matters not how young or how old you are in the faith, you and I need to grow, for we never outgrow the need to grow. We cannot be stagnant. We cannot just stay where we are. 

Let me close with this reminder from David Roper, “Everything worthwhile takes time, but time is on our side. We have the rest of our lives to grow. God is wonderfully patient. He will never give up on us until His work is done. . . . We are unfinished—but one day very soon God will finish. . . . And that’s good enough for me.”

May God help us grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ this year all for the glory of God!

AMEN!