“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord”.
2 Peter 1:2
Grace, which implies “that which is freely given or the act of giving freely”, is said to be multiplied to us through the knowledge of God.
The believer is a recipient of grace; he does not lack grace in any sense. As Peter has rightly said, if grace is multiplied to him, does that mean he receives grace in a bit?
No! The believer received grace at the new birth and is saved by the same.
Paul said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The believer is saved by grace through faith. Where salvation is concerned, to say that the believer receives grace in a bit is to say that he is saved in a bit.
Salvation is receiving the grace of God, and we did not receive it in a bit but in full.
So what is this “multiplication of grace” that Peter mentioned in our opening text?
The word translated as “be multiplied” in 2 Peter 1:2 was translated from the Greek word “plethuno”, which means “to increase or multiply or make full or grow”.
It also denotes to cause to increase or multiply or to be multiplied.
Peter had previously used it in his first epistle: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied” (1Peter 1:2).
In our opening text, Peter explained what he meant: “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord”.
The phrase “through the knowledge of God” is worthy of note.
The word “through” was translated from the Greek word “en”, which is a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time, or state); hence, the word “in”.
It also implies instrumentality! Here, the word “through” is implied. Therefore, the “multiplication of grace” is in the knowledge of God. As you grow in knowledge, you grow in grace.
The believer can grow in grace because he has been saved by the same. That growth is primarily a function of knowledge.
Peter, in his second epistle, says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).
Grace multiplying to you is actually you growing in grace, where your capacity is increased as you grow in the knowledge of all that has been freely given to you.
This is why, in the proceeding verses, Peter said, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Confession
I grow in grace by growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
