2 Peter 3:18 Meaning: Grow in Grace and Knowledge to Persevere

The word behind 'grow' is auxanō, the same word used for plants growing, for children maturing. It is a present imperative, not a one-time decision but a continuous, active process. Peter is not saying 'try to be bigger than you are.' He is saying 'keep growing, keep being nourished, keep reaching upward.' Growth is the sign of life, and the Christian life is meant to increase.

'Grace' here is charis, the undeserved favor of God that also includes every spiritual gift and virtue that comes from it. Growing in grace does not mean earning more favor; it means deepening your experience of the favor you already have, letting it shape your character and responses.

'Knowledge' is gnōsis, but in context it is personal, relational knowledge, not facts about Jesus but knowing Him as Lord and Savior. The two go together: grace without knowledge can become shallow feeling; knowledge without grace can become cold doctrine. Peter binds them so that growth is always toward a Person, not just an experience.

Christians across traditions have seen this verse as essential to perseverance. Wesleyan readers emphasize that growth in grace is active cooperation with God's work, and without it the soul becomes sickly. Reformed readers like Calvin stress that continual progress is the only way to keep standing; you cannot stay where you are. Anglican commentators point out that knowledge here is set against the false knowledge of the false teachers, true knowledge of Christ guards the believer from error. Baptists like Gill note that both gifts and internal graces can increase through use. Despite different emphases, all agree that the command to grow is not optional; it is the path God gives for holding fast to the end.

A common misreading is that 'grow in grace' means to accumulate more of God's favor, as if grace were a quantity we can stockpile. In fact, grace is God's unearned kindness, and growing in it means letting that kindness take deeper root in your life, changing how you think, speak, and act. It is not about having more of God's approval, but about being more fully shaped by the approval you already have in Christ.

This week, choose one area where you feel spiritually stuck, a habit you cannot shake, a relationship that tests your patience, a doubt that keeps returning. Instead of just trying harder to fix it, set aside five minutes each day to read about Jesus: a few verses from one of the Gospels, or a psalm that speaks of His goodness. Ask Him to show you something true about Himself that you have missed. Then let that truth sit with you through the day. Growth happens one small, honest look at Christ at a time.