… ¹⁸but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

We are to grow in our understanding and appreciation of our Lord’s grace to us, which He poured out fully in saving us at the cross of Christ. We get no more grace than at the cross, but we experience it more fully as we go along. But there is another level of depth in this simple phrase, “Grow in grace.” We need to grow spiritually within the context of God being gracious to us. Let this sink in; this is the application part.

Spiritual growth in grace is not just a spiritual awareness of a beautiful truth that gives us tremendous security and enjoyment of God’s attitude toward us—as good as that is! We will undoubtedly have all eternity to continue in our discovery of the infinity of all of God’s character. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross will glow more and more brightly in our eyes as the magnifying glass to seeing God in all His glory.

But the command “to grow” is an active injunction; grace should become the conscious awareness that permeates and profoundly impacts our lives. Because of God’s transforming grace to us, we ought to grow in our graciousness to others: overlooking their sins against us as much as we can, giving to help others, complimenting people, not holding their slights against them, not holding accounts of wrongs against us, praying for those who persecute us rather than wishing them harm.

This should extend even to being gracious to ourselves! We can be our own harshest critics; we need to think not more highly of ourselves than we ought but also to think “soberly,” which means not too lowly of ourselves (Rom. 12:3). We need to set aside self-flagellation, forgive ourselves for whatever mistakes or failures we have made. Whatever we are angry about in ourselves must be set aside because God forgives us. How can we continue to berate ourselves if God has been infinitely gracious to forgive us? To grow in grace is to consciously and increasingly live in His forgiveness. How can I not forgive someone God has forgiven, even if that someone is me?

God’s grace becomes the atmosphere in which we grow spiritually, and we must commit to that kind of growth. It requires a growing understanding of forgiveness and mercy, so I cannot keep living a selfish and ungracious life. His grace is the framework, the structure for our living. It is the milieu for our daily walk, like the water in which fish swim or the air in which birds fly. Grace is the medium in which we live Christlike lives.

Our thoughts, actions, behaviors and conversations are increasingly affected by grace as God’s knowledge permeates every area of our lives. To use Peter’s words, we ought to “grow in grace.” Then we cannot help but extol God’s grace, not only in our own lives but through our lives as we become God’s grace to others. Let us so live that the spiritual water in which we swim spills over to others, and the spiritual air in which we fly refreshes the souls of others.

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, keep reminding me of how gracious You are to me every moment of my day so that others may experience Your grace to them through me.