“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,” (2 Peter 1:2, AV)
In the old days, we learned our multiplication tables in grade school. Multiplication was good. For instance, if you had $2.00, a lot of money when I was in school, and doubled it, you would have $4.00. as a kid in elementary school, I would do chores to earn money and I discovered that if I did twice as many chores, I would double my money. I amassed quite a bit of wealth as a young child and kept it all in my pockets along with my penknife, rabbit’s foot, and a host of other things that seemed valuable to me.
As an older adult, I can now look back and see how this multiplying effect prepared us for retirement. I discovered, rather than putting excess earnings tucked into my mattress, that properly invested these funds could multiply and at lease match or even exceed the inflation rate. Multiplication is important.
Consider multiplication in the realm of Christianity. How valuable is “grace” and “peace”? Might I say that both of these are highly valuable to us. They are lovingly granted to us by God, a tremendous blessing. These are of infinitely greater value than that of any material earthly commodity that we could own. However, have any of us ever considered that there is a way to multiply these in our lives? According to Peter, there is.
First, we need to understand what Peter meant by the two virtues of “grace” and “peace.” We understand that it is by “grace” we have been saved and that through salvation we also have been granted “peace.” This is a done deal for believers in Christ. Yet, there is a practical need for us to experience “grace” and “peace” in our every day lives. We need these to handle life’s ups and downs in a Christlike manner. We need them to serve our Lord in this world. We need them in our daily relationships with others. Yes, we need “grace” and “peace” “multiplied” to each one of us. In this greeting, Peter tells us a practical way in which these may be multiplied to us.
Peter indicated that “knowledge” is the ingredient by which “grace” and “peace” may be multiplied to us. The word “knowledge,” epignosis refers to full discernment (Strong G1922), a precise and correct knowledge. This is a type of knowledge that does not just come from the intellect, though the intellectual understanding is paramount. It is a knowledge that comes to us through many avenues, combining education and experience. It is in our continuous intimate walk with Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and according to Spirit’s illumination of the Scripture to us that we grow in this knowledge of God and Jesus. As we continually grow in this way, “grace” and “peace” will be “multiplied” to us.
Seek the Lord, stay in the word, be obedient to Christ, be a blessing to others, and experience “multiplication” in “grace” and “peace.”
Renewing the Heart 