What does it look like to go forward spiritually rather than drifting backward? The closing words of Peter’s second epistle pair a sobering warning with a life-giving admonition – beware of being led astray, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. Growth is not optional for the believer; it touches every area of life, from love for God and fellow believers to love for the lost. And the means of that growth – time in God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, and even trials – are available to every Christian willing to pursue them.
The closing verses of 2 Peter bring together two things every believer needs: a warning and an admonition. The warning is lovingly given – “ye therefore, beloved, beware” – and it concerns the danger of being led away by error and falling from spiritual steadfastness. The admonition is equally direct – “but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
The warning is grounded in the reality that truth, spoken in love, is the foundation of spiritual stability. Ephesians 4:15 connects speaking the truth in love with growing up into Christ. Without a deep love for sound doctrine, believers are vulnerable. The last days are characterised by people who will not endure sound doctrine, who heap to themselves teachers with itching ears and turn away from the truth unto fables. When truth is rejected, destruction follows.
Error is seductive. It draws people away gradually. False doctrine is not merely a matter of intellectual disagreement – it is, at its root, the work of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. The world is full of voices contrary to the Word of God, and the constant exposure to these philosophies can wear down a believer’s convictions. The brainwashing of the media, advertising, and ungodly agendas can make it hard to realign hearts and minds with what is true. Even internal lies – thoughts driven by pride, anger, tiredness, or discouragement – need to be taken captive to the obedience of Christ, as 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches. This is not something that can be done in one’s own strength; it requires surrender to Christ.
Error is also destructive. Those who wrested the Scriptures did so to their own destruction, and the same danger faces any believer who becomes careless. Falling spiritually can happen more easily than expected – through a sinful thought, an ungodly attitude, a failure to walk circumspectly. That is why boundaries and watchfulness matter. They are not legalism; they are wisdom. Like the roots of a tree that provide both life and stability, the things God teaches and warns about serve a purpose, even when that purpose is not immediately obvious.
The admonition to grow follows naturally from the warning. If believers do not want to fall from steadfastness, they need to grow. Two facets of growth are identified: growing in grace and growing in the knowledge of Christ.
Growing in grace is not progressive salvation. It is the ongoing work of God’s grace in the life of someone already saved. The transformation seen in the Apostle Paul – from one breathing out threatenings and slaughter to one willing to be accursed for his brethren – is the grace of God at work. The same is true of John, who went from wanting to call down fire on the Samaritans to being known as the Apostle of Love. And Peter himself, the very author of this epistle, knew experientially what it was to fall from steadfastness when he denied the Lord, and yet was restored and commissioned to strengthen others.
Growing in grace means growing in love for God, which requires spending quality time with Him in His Word and in prayer. It means growing in love for fellow believers – a love that is the key evidence of genuine salvation, as 1 John 3:14 teaches. The early church was marked by this love, and unbelievers looked on and said, “See how they love one another.” In a world full of selfishness and conditional affection, the genuine love of Christians for one another remains a powerful testimony. Growing in grace also means growing in love for the lost, constrained by the love of Christ as Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.
Growing in the knowledge of Christ means knowing Him – not merely knowing about Him, but knowing Him personally. John 17:3 defines eternal life as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. The means of growing in this knowledge include time in the Word, prayer, the teaching ministry of pastors, trials that produce patience and maturity, and the fellowship of the church. Proverbs 27:17 speaks of iron sharpening iron, and the fellowship life of the church is one of God’s instruments for growth.
Growth is costly in time. It requires desire, discipline, and willingness to move from basic truths to deeper ones. But the prospect is compelling: to come to the end of the year and say, “I know my Lord more, I love Him more, I appreciate Him more.” The Apostle Paul, even after his dramatic conversion, still said, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.” If Paul, with all he had experienced, still longed to know Christ more, then there are mountaintops with God that every believer has yet to ascend.
Spiritual growth glorifies God. When believers, by the Spirit of God and the grace of God, take in the Word of God and are changed to become more like Christ, that brings Him glory – both now and forever.
Sermon Audio Id: 222512428170