“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

In the opening of John’s gospel, we learn of both Jesus’ divinity and His humanity. The divinity of Jesus is announced as John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Jesus, the Word, was God before time and at the beginning of time. He is and always will be God. John would then add, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) John had first met Jesus while working as a fisherman. He would follow Jesus, who had called out, “’Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’”

While John knew Jesus as a man, it was Luke in his research for Theophilus, that he recorded stories of Jesus at His birth and as a child. “With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:3-4) As Luke transitioned from Jesus as a boy to a man, he would teach us that in His humanity, Jesus did as all of us do, He grew. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52) If the Son of God in flesh grew, we must be willing to grow.

It is Peter’s last challenge to the church in his second letter. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18) Our growth is found first in the grace which we have received and are receiving in Jesus Christ. Jesus came full of grace. His grace brings us into a saving relationship with God. “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:22-25) Grace continues through our redemption into all our service and work which we now do in obedience to God. Paul would testify, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Our growth also develops as we become more knowledgeable about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is seen in Paul’s passion for the churches. “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2-3) Paul’s desire for the church, as they come to grace by faith for redemption, is that they would also come to grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7) The more we grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ, the more we tap into the treasures of God’s eternal wisdom, which was His before the world began when God the Word was with God and was God.

The goal for all of us as believers is to grow.  Our God is infinite, eternal, and personal. He desires for us to know Him. Not just to know Him casually, but to know Him as our Lord, our Savior, our God, and our friend. We do this every day as we grow in grace and in knowledge of God who has come to us in Jesus Christ.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block