“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.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Peter 3:18 Mean?
Peter closes his second letter with a command and a doxology: grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The final instruction is not about doctrine, behavior, or mission. It is about growth.
"Grow" is an imperative — not a suggestion. Growth is commanded. Spiritual stagnation is not an option. The Christian life is designed to develop continually.
The growth is in two dimensions: grace (the unmerited favor and empowerment of God) and knowledge (intimate, experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ). Both are necessary. Grace without knowledge is formless. Knowledge without grace is cold.
"To him be glory both now and for ever" closes the letter with worship. The growth points to glory — not your glory but his. Everything you become through growth in grace and knowledge is meant to magnify him.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where have you stopped growing spiritually — and what would it look like to start again?
- 2.How is growing 'in grace' different from growing in knowledge or discipline?
- 3.What does it mean that Peter's final instruction is simply 'grow'?
- 4.How does growth in grace and knowledge produce glory for Christ rather than for yourself?
Devotional
Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Peter's last word is not a warning or a correction. It is an invitation: grow.
Grow in grace. Not just receive grace — grow in it. Let it expand in your understanding, in your experience, in the way you extend it to others. Grace is not a one-time deposit. It is a garden that deepens with cultivation.
Grow in the knowledge of our Lord. Not knowledge about him — knowledge of him. The intimate, personal, experiential knowing that comes from walking with someone over time. The knowledge that deepens not through study alone but through relationship.
This is Peter's final instruction — the last thing he wants you to hear. Not a complex theological system. Not a list of rules. Grow. In grace. In knowledge. Of Jesus.
The Christian life does not plateau. It grows. And the growth is in the two things most worth having: more grace and more of Jesus.
To him be glory both now and for ever. The growth is not for you. It is for him. Everything you become in grace and knowledge is meant to reflect his glory — now, in your daily life, and forever, in eternity.
Are you growing? Or have you stopped?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But grow in grace,.... In the gifts of grace, which, under a divine blessing, may be increased by using them: gifts…
But grow in grace - Compare Col 1:10. Religion in general is often represented as “grace,” since every part of it is the…
But grow in grace - Increase in the image and favor of God; every grace and Divine influence which ye have received is a…
The apostle, having instructed them in the doctrine of Christ's second coming,
I. Takes occasion thence to exhort them…
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The final thought of the Epistle, like that…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture