Grow In Grace and In Knowledge

'Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ'.  II Peter 3:18a

Sometimes when I am studying the Word the weirdest things pop out at me.  Today was one of those days.  I was reading II Peter and when I got to Chapter 3 verse 18 I stopped.  The Holy Spirit arrested my mind.  I couldn't get out of my head why the word grace came before knowledge.  Shouldn't knowledge have been first?  After all, we are always told to read the Bible. Study the Word.  So it has to be important.  I also took note of the word 'and' which led me to believe that grace and knowledge go hand in hand.  You can't grow in one without the other.  But I kept going back to the word grace before knowledge.  One thing I have learned though about the scripture is that there are no mistakes and things are written that way for a reason. 

What is grace?  God's unmerited favor.  God giving us what we don't deserve. We can't buy it. We can't earn it.  Grace is given by God. 

What is knowledge?  Familiarity, awareness or understanding gained through experience or study.  Acquiring knowledge involves complex cognitive processes: perception, learning, communication, association and reasoning.

Why are we as believers told to grow in grace and knowledge? And furthermore, why are we told to grow in grace first.  Here is my theory.  The Bible is full of valuable information.  It is 'sharper than any two-edged sword'.  It is 'God-inspired and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness'.  In the Bible we are able to take a close look into the mind of Christ.  A personal transformation process should take place as we read the Word.  Unfortunately this is not always what takes place.  Did you know that there are people who read the Word for no other reason than to tell you what is wrong in your life.  What you should be doing better.  They read the Word to point out the flaws of the preacher, the teacher, the deacon, the deaconess, the choir member. Stop me when I get to your street.  They may start studying the Word because they want to grow closer to God. They want a better relationship.  But something strange happens on the inside and instead of growing closer, their eyes seem to open up into the lives of those around them.  Their husbands. Their wives. Their friends. Their co-workers.  All of a sudden they are better than those around them.  They become prideful and judgmental.  They tend to forget that just yesterday they were in the same place.  Actually, if they tell the truth and shame the devil, they really never left that place.  They just keep it within the four walls of their own home.  And let me say something right here,  the very person looking down on the young lady who had a baby out of wedlock is just as much a sinner for gossiping with Sister Sally.  The person who is looking down on the young man who went to prison for whatever reason is just as much a sinner for participating in premarital sex.  A sin is a sin.  And it is not our place to judge.

How many of you reading this already know where I am going?  It didn't take me long to figure out why we are told to 'grow in grace and in knowledge'.  Lest we forget where we came from.  We are all sinners saved by grace.  We experience God's grace through His saving power.  It leads us to want to know more about Him.  So who are we to judge or look down on anyone? That was one of the fights I had with myself before I submitted to God and the ministry He called me to do.  I didn't want to think of myself more highly than I should.  As a matter of fact I pray daily that God keep me humble. That He gives me the right words to say when I speak and when I teach and when I write. 

God has given us grace but we aren't so quick to return the favor to others.  We have a memory like an elephant.  We remember every wrong thing a person has every done.  If we find out something about someone's past  that we didn't know, we are quick to turn up our nose at them.  There was only one perfect person whoever walked the face of the earth and his name was Jesus Christ.  And I hate to tell you this but we all have a past.  Whether you were raised in the church and saved at an early age or you became a Christian as an adult, you are not better than anyone.  And here's another bit of information I want to share with you, the more Word you come to know and understand, the more you are held accountable for.  We are Christ's ambassadors.  We are here to help bring others to Christ.  We should want to share with others the grace we were extended.  I don't know about you but when I think of the things I've done, the words I've said, the bad thoughts I've had yet God still saved me. In fact he continues to extend grace to me by forgiving me every day and I have the nerve to think of myself as better than someone else.  Shame on me!

I'm reminded of a Walter Hawkins song on his Love Alive album.  The song is entitled "I'm Not The Same".  The lyrics are as follows: I came to Christ, just as I was.  I was lost deep in sin.  I had no peace of mind within.  And I'm not the same.  Everything has changed. Because of Christ.  Here is the one thing I want you to keep in mind.  You know your story.  Only you can write the lyrics to your song.  It may sound similar to the words of the Walter Hawkins song I just mentioned. Whatever the case may be, God saved you. By His grace.  And your life is not the same.  As you grow in knowledge and you get to know God better and he changes you to be more like him, you should be more willing to extend grace to others.  In and of ourselves it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. 

I am a strong advocate of studying the Word of God.  I believe that everyone should know the Word for themselves so that at any time you can give an account for the hope that is in you.  But I challenge you that you should also grow in grace. After all, grace is what started you on your journey.  As you learn more about Christ, you should become more like Him.  Have you ever stopped to think where you would be if God looked at your past and instead of extending grace and saving you, He turned his back and said, 'You're just not good enough'.  Forget about the past before you were saved, let's rewind to just yesterday.  What if God said, "I'm not going to forgive you.  I've given you enough chances."  I don't know about you but I would be in horrible shape.  I encourage you to live your life as though you are the only Jesus the people you encounter will see.  Are you a good representative?

Dear Lord,

I'm sorry. Please forgive me.  I have been guilty of judging my sister, my brother in Christ.  Instead of extending grace, I've made the decision that they don't deserve it.  After all you have done for me.  You saved me and you continue to forgive me. With your help I know I can do better.  Help me not to become haughty or prideful.  Thank you Lord for your grace.  In Jesus' Name Amen.