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"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
(2 Peter 3:18)
Our biblical text for the last couple days from 2 Peter commands us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. I confess that growing in knowledge is easier to me than growing in grace. Knowledge I can gain on my own through reading, attending a class, listening to a podcast, etc. But to grow in grace is harder. To grow in the grace of Jesus means I must interact with people. Living a grace-based life does not mean you have no convictions about sin or that sinful behavior does not bother you. Living in grace means you know what it is like to be transformed by God's grace, and you want others to experience what you have. Growing in knowledge is an issue of the mind, but growing in grace is a matter of the heart.
It does not have to be either grace or knowledge; it must be both and. If you say, "Well, I will not be very deep doctrinally, but generous and kind," that is not good. Nor is it good to be brilliant in doctrine but mean and cold-hearted. Note that Peter praises Jesus Christ and calls Him our Lord and Savior. He is the One who was perfect in grace and truth. John 1:14 says that our Lord was full of grace and truth.
Peter closes his epistle with an anthem and doxology of praise to Jesus. Doxa (glory) literally means, shining, brightness, and radiance. To give Jesus glory means to give Him honor, praise, and worship.
The goal of my life is to be doctrinally sound and to be a gracious, generous person. I want my life to reflect the life of Jesus. God has blessed me to serve Him both as a pastor and the president of an evangelistic association. I desire for God to use me to speak grace and truth to others and to live in a way that honors the Lord and helps others come to know Him.
It gives me great joy to teach God's Word and see others grow in their walk with Christ. Last Wednesday night before we left for Asia, I flew to Oklahoma City to speak to a pastor's meeting and to preach at Quail Springs Baptist Church. I enjoyed delivering to the pastors a message entitled, "The Pastor on the Front Lines of Evangelism". We had good dialogue and interaction. Later, I spoke to a crowded room at Quail Springs. It was encouraging to see so many students who had come to learn how they could be bolder in their witness for Christ. Two of the young men hung around to speak to me afterwards. They are juniors in high school. One of them leads worship at the church, and the other has a desire to teach others about the Lord. It was neat to be able to take a few minutes to speak into their lives and to encourage them in their walk with Christ. You could tell they were eager to learn and to serve the Lord even more diligently.
How about you? Do you have that hunger to grow in grace and knowledge? If not, ask the Lord to rekindle that fire in your heart for Him.
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