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Objective

To understand that spiritual growth in both grace and knowledge is God’s command for every believer, and to learn practical ways to develop deeper intimacy with Christ.

Key Verse

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

Introduction

Have you ever watched a gardener carefully tend their plants? They don’t just plant seeds and walk away. They water regularly, provide proper nutrients, remove weeds, and create the right conditions for growth. The gardener expects growth because that’s what healthy plants do—they grow.

In the same way, God expects us to grow spiritually. The apostle Peter’s final words in his second letter give us one of the most important commands in all of Scripture: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” This isn’t a suggestion or a gentle recommendation. The word “grow” here is a command that applies to every believer, regardless of how long you’ve known Christ.

When God created Adam and Eve, His first instruction to them was to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). Growth has always been part of God’s plan for His people. Just as parents expect their children to grow physically and develop mentally, our heavenly Father expects us to grow spiritually. He has provided everything we need for this growth, but we must actively cooperate with His work in our lives.

Physical growth happens naturally when a child is healthy and receives proper care. But spiritual growth requires intentional effort on our part. Like a seed that needs good soil, water, warmth, and light to flourish, we need the right spiritual conditions to thrive: regular prayer, time in God’s Word, fellowship with other believers, and obedience to what God teaches us.

Here are the main points we will explore together:

• The command to grow spiritually
• Growing in grace—experiencing God’s unmerited favor
• Growing in knowledge—knowing Christ more deeply
• Understanding Jesus as Lord, Savior, and Christ

The Command to Grow Spiritually

The phrase “but grow” in our key verse stands out because Peter uses it to contrast spiritual growth with spiritual stagnation. Throughout his letter, Peter has warned against false teachers who lead people astray and believers who stop growing in their faith. Now he gives the positive alternative: keep growing!

This growth isn’t automatic. Just as a plant can stop growing if it lacks proper care, our spiritual lives can become stunted if we neglect the means God has given us for growth. We must be intentional about creating the right conditions for spiritual development.

1 Peter 2:2: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

Peter uses the picture of a hungry baby to show us what our attitude should be toward spiritual growth. Healthy babies have strong appetites—they cry for milk because they instinctively know they need it to grow. In the same way, we should have a strong spiritual appetite for God’s Word and the things that help us grow closer to Christ.

God has given us several means for spiritual growth: His Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, worship, and service. These aren’t burdens to bear but privileges to enjoy. They’re like the water, sunlight, and nutrients that help a plant flourish.

(Notebook Moment: Think about your own spiritual appetite. Do you find yourself hungry for God’s Word and eager to spend time with Him, or do you have to force yourself to read the Bible and pray? What might this tell you about the health of your spiritual life?)

The biblical pattern shows us that growth has always been God’s expectation for His people. After the flood, God repeated His command to Noah and his family: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). Throughout Scripture, we see that God blesses growth and multiplication, whether physical, spiritual, or numerical.

Growing in Grace

Grace is one of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture. It speaks of God’s unmerited favor—His love and kindness toward us that we don’t deserve and can never earn. The apostle Paul reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our good works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But grace isn’t just how we begin our relationship with God—it’s also how we continue and grow in that relationship. Every day we need fresh experiences of God’s grace to sustain us, strengthen us, and help us become more like Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:9: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

The apostle Paul discovered this truth through personal struggle. He had what he called a “thorn in the flesh”—some kind of ongoing difficulty that caused him pain. He asked God three times to remove it, but God’s answer was: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Paul learned that God’s grace was not just enough to save him but enough to sustain him through every trial.

Peter himself grew in grace through failure and restoration. When Jesus was arrested, Peter denied knowing Him three times, just as Jesus had predicted. This must have been devastating for Peter—he had boasted that he would never abandon Christ, yet at the crucial moment, he failed completely.

But the story doesn’t end with Peter’s failure. After His resurrection, Jesus sought out Peter and gave him three opportunities to declare his love—one for each denial. Jesus then commissioned Peter to “feed my sheep” (John 21:15-19). Peter learned that God’s grace is greater than our failures and that God can use even our mistakes to teach us humility and dependence on Him.

This is what it means to grow in grace—learning to depend more completely on God’s unmerited favor rather than our own strength or goodness. As we mature in our faith, we should become more aware of our need for grace, not less. The closer we get to God’s holiness, the more we realize how much we need His mercy and forgiveness.

Titus 2:11-12: For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

God’s grace is not just forgiveness for past sins—it’s also power for present living. As we grow in grace, we learn to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. This doesn’t happen through willpower alone but through God’s gracious work in our hearts.

Growing in Knowledge

The second part of Peter’s command is to grow “in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” This isn’t just intellectual knowledge about Christ—it’s intimate, personal knowledge that comes from relationship with Him.

The apostle Paul expressed this same passion when he wrote: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). After years of walking with Christ, Paul still hungered to know Him more deeply.

John 17:3: Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Jesus defined eternal life not just as living forever but as knowing God personally. This knowledge begins when we trust Christ as our Savior, but it continues growing throughout our lives and into eternity. In fact, Paul tells us that in the ages to come, God will show us “the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). We’ll spend eternity growing in our knowledge of God’s grace!

How do we grow in knowledge of Christ? The Holy Spirit is our teacher. Jesus promised His disciples that the Spirit would guide them into all truth and remind them of everything He had taught them (John 16:13; 14:26). As we read God’s Word with open hearts, the Holy Spirit helps us understand who Christ is and what He has done for us.

(Notebook Moment: Paul said his greatest desire was to know Christ more deeply. If someone asked you what your greatest desire in life is, what would you say? How might having Paul’s passion for knowing Christ change your priorities and daily choices?)

We also grow in knowledge through prayer. Prayer isn’t just asking God for things—it’s communion with Him. As we spend time talking with God and listening for His voice through His Word, we learn more about His character, His ways, and His heart.

Fellowship with other believers also helps us grow in knowledge. When we gather with God’s people to study His Word, worship together, and share our experiences of God’s faithfulness, we learn from each other’s insights and grow together in understanding.

Understanding Jesus as Lord, Savior, and Christ

Peter uses three titles for Jesus in our key verse that help us understand different aspects of who He is and what He means to us. As we grow in grace and knowledge, we should develop a deeper appreciation for each of these roles that Christ fulfills.

➤ Jesus as Lord

The title “Lord” speaks of Jesus’ authority and sovereignty over our lives. In the ancient world, a lord had complete authority over his subjects. When we call Jesus “Lord,” we’re acknowledging that He has the right to rule our lives completely.

But Jesus asked a searching question that every believer should consider: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). It’s possible to use the title “Lord” for Jesus without truly submitting to His lordship in our daily lives.

Growing in grace and knowledge means growing in obedience to Christ’s lordship. As we learn more about what He commands and experience more of His grace, we should find ourselves more willing to follow His leadership in every area of our lives.

➤ Jesus as Savior

The title “Savior” reminds us that Jesus rescued us from sin and its consequences. Paul told the elders at Ephesus that Christ “purchased the church with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). The price of our salvation was nothing less than the life of God’s perfect Son.

As we grow in knowledge of Christ as our Savior, we should never get over the wonder of what He has done for us. The more we understand the holiness of God and the depth of our sin, the more amazing His salvation becomes.

Hebrews 7:25: Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Christ is not only the One who saved us in the past—He continues to save us every day. Right now, He’s in heaven interceding for us, praying for our needs and representing us before the Father. This ongoing work of salvation should give us great confidence and peace.

➤ Jesus as Christ

The title “Christ” means “the anointed one” or “the promised one.” This title connects Jesus to all the promises God made throughout the Old Testament about the coming Messiah. Every promise God ever made finds its fulfillment in Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:20: For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

When we study the life of Jesus in the Gospels, we see not just the Son of God but also the perfect human example. His human name “Jesus” reminds us that He became one of us, lived a sinless life under the same pressures and temptations we face, and showed us what it looks like to live in complete dependence on the Father.

Hebrews 4:15: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

(Notebook Moment: Which of these three aspects of Christ’s identity—Lord, Savior, or Christ—do you need to understand better? How might growing in knowledge of that particular aspect of who He is change the way you relate to Him?)

Conclusion

Peter’s command to grow in grace and knowledge isn’t just good advice—it’s God’s will for every believer. Just as physical growth is a sign of health in a child, spiritual growth is a sign of spiritual health in a Christian.

Growing in grace means learning to depend more completely on God’s unmerited favor in every situation. Whether we’re facing trials, dealing with our own failures, or simply living day by day, we need fresh experiences of God’s grace to sustain us and transform us.

Growing in knowledge means pursuing an ever-deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. This knowledge isn’t just intellectual but personal and intimate. As we study His Word, spend time in prayer, and walk in obedience to His commands, we come to know Him more fully as our Lord, Savior, and Christ.

The wonderful truth is that this growth can continue throughout our entire lives. No matter how long you’ve been a Christian, there are always new depths of God’s grace to experience and new aspects of Christ’s character to discover. Even in eternity, we’ll continue growing in our knowledge of God’s infinite love and grace.

As you continue in this curriculum, remember that the goal isn’t just to learn facts about God but to know God Himself more deeply. Every lesson should help you grow in both grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May this be your prayer and your passion as you study: “Lord, help me grow in grace and knowledge of You.”

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