Bible Explanations
79. Growth in Grace and Knowledge
2 Peter
3:18 - "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."
This is our sanctification.
(1.) True believers really grow in both these things.
(2.) It is impossible for true
believers to have one but not the other.
"Grace" is equivalent to experimental
religion,
"Knowledge" is equivalent to knowledge of doctrine.
It is possible to know all
the truth
there is to know in this world, because it is all contained in
the Holy Bible. Man is biased against it by nature, so most men
in their natural estate will be irrational in their logic somewhere
along the line, but technically, by the use of the premises in
the Bible and the good and necessary consequence of logical deduction,
it is theoretically possible to know all the truth (that there is
to know) with unaided reason. This renders men who have the Scriptures
more without excuse than men who just have Creation to go by.
But even if one knew all
truth in this
way, without experimental religion (i.e. "grace")
one would still
be unregenerate and go to hell:
1 Corinthians 13:2 - "And though I
have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;
and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
and have not charity, I am nothing."
1 Corinthians 8:1 - "Knowledge
puffeth
up, but charity edifieth."
On the other hand, some men throw
doctrine ("knowledge") out
of the window and think that one's supposed "experience of Christ"
is the only
mark of being a true believer. This is also nonsense,
because they end up believing in a Christ of their own imagination,
not the Christ of Scripture (which they do not bother to find out
about). These people are also still unregenerate, because a new heart
would give us a love for the Word of God, and a desire to submit
ourselves to it, which these people clearly have not got..
Therefore we need knowledge
of the truth:
John 17:17 - "Sanctify them
through
thy truth: thy word is truth."
But we ALSO need experimental religion:
Romans 5:5 - "the love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto
us."