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 3:18 The Great Throb And
Final Word of Peter's Heart.
 "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be
glory both now and for ever. Amen."
Remember, that in Peter's first letter, he made a major point about GRACE - "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
[1 Peter 2:3]
This "if so be" is a major pivotal unmoveable must, if there is to be any spiritual growth and true benefit from the Word of God.
The Word of God remains only dry hard crust and not "the bread of life" if there is no "tasting of the Lord, that He is gracious".
The Bible in the hands of a believer that has not and does not habitually know "grace" operating in his or her life, is potentially a very
dangerous entity on the stage of Christian ministry.
 Grace was a 'must' with the impulsive enthusiasm of Peter. He did not lack enthusiasm! Peter gave a clear demonstration of that, in the garden of agony, when he enthusiastically defended the Lord with the sword! but Peter needed to be taught - "Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6].
Growth by the Word of God without experiencing the constant grace of the Lord, is only growth in dry lifeless knowledge.
Admittedly "dry lifeless knowledge" can be made to possess some spectacular sound and look, but only in the soul realm without
benefit and impact upon the real spiritual hunger and need.
 The previous verse, Peter gives the reason of his emphatic 'burst' into "but grow in grace". He mentions the sad
experience of .... "fall from your own stedfastness". Peter knew the sad experience of a lack of grace fall; but dear Christian, the Lord
encouraged Peter in the face of warning him; of his pending fall of denying him - to, "let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in
God, believe also in me" [John 13:38-14:1] Peter later, after his 'fall' experienced the flood of grace that Jesus promised him.
Peter didn't "grow" by any other influence, other than by the amazing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The last words of the Bible are - "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" [Revelation 22:21].
THE VITAL ATTACHMENT OF GRACE.
Peter attaches a vital component to his word of .... "but grow in grace", and that is .. "and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ".
Grace is multiplied to humanity in many forms. the Bible talks about, "the grace of life", which incidently, is Peter's advice in respect
to a married couple pooling and sharing their personal resources and experience of "the grace of life" together, and that the husband
needs to take stock of that [1 Peter 3:7].
But the greatest grace and purpose of grace is to know Jesus and the power of his person in an impactful way as Paul said ... "That I may know him and the power of his resurrection" [Philippians 3:10].
Hosea said .... "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord" [Hosea 6:3].
Follow on to know the Lord, dear Christian as your one aim, in the boil over of life in this incidental temporal world.
 A believer can only have Heavenly revelation of Bible truth in the knowledge of Jesus Christ; that is, knowing him and being in touch with Him from day to day in a personal real time relationship.
Paul writes on this urgent reality, that Heavenly revelation can only be truly realised in "the knowledge of Him" - not in the mere intellectual knowledge only, of what he said! Not in the knowledge of some paramount Bible fact. Not in the knowledge of some doctrinal creed, but in the relentless pursuit and desire to "know Him" as in the following insightful prayer of the apostle Paul for the Church at Ephesus ...
... "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him: (Jesus) [Ephesians 1:17]. (*** In Knowing Him More! ***)
The entire last book of the Bible is, as it's name implies, a book of 'Revelation', not a book of past historical fact, but hidden revelation of future historical glorious fact, which only came to John at the feet of Jesus [Revelation 1:1-17].
 Have a read of that, preferably on your knees, with the Bible open at that exhilarating chapter (Revelation 1:1-17) and look to Jesus for the grace and revelation of himself that captured John with such glory that brought him to his knees.
Oh, that the Lord would so capture us in these spoiled barren days to "shew forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light" [1 Peter 2:9].
PRAYER.
 "Lord Jesus, I want to know you, like the two disciples on the Emmaus road came to know you, when you revealed the wonder, glory and greatness of who you are, through the Scriptures and their hearts burned within them. Amen".
 God BLESS.
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2 Peter 3:18 - Grow in Grace and Knowledge of the Lord.
