Apostle Peter closes his second epistle with the admonition to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. What does it mean to “grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?” We find the answer in 2 Peter 1:5-11. To grow in the knowledge of Christ involves the development of eight graces listed in 2Peter 1:5-7, which are faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. These are “Christ-like” attributes.
We must “abound” in these eight “graces” or “Christ-like” attributes and only then can it be said that we are “growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” Therefore, it is something more than simply increasing our “intellectual” knowledge of Jesus Christ! Apostle Peter is talking about growing in a full and personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. The ultimate objective of being a Christian is to become like Christ (Romans 8:29).

Christ came to bring us into the full knowledge of God. In John 1:1, the incarnate Word was God. The knowledge of God is at the heart of salvation and all true spiritual experience. Knowing Him is what we were created for. Scripture also teaches us that the knowledge of God can keep us away from sin (Psalm 119:11). Constant searching of the scriptures is one of the ways to increase in the knowledge of Christ. Jesus Christ, Himself, made this prescription in John 5:39 when He said: “Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me.” Through earnest heartfelt prayers we increase in the knowledge of Christ. Most rare dimensions of God in the scriptures were revealed at the place of prayer. Daniel prayed down the Angels (Daniel 6:22); Cornelius prayed down an Angel in a vision (Acts 10:3-7) and Jesus prayed down Moses and Elijah at the mount of transfiguration (Luke 9:29).

The Holy spirit helps us to increase in the knowledge of Christ. The Holy spirit reveals the person of Jesus Christ to us. In John 16:13a, the Bible says: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” The Holy Spirit reveals the Rhema behind the written scriptures to us (John 6:63). A close and deep relationship with the Holy spirit is a sure way to increase in the knowledge of God. Reading and listening to spiritual and anointed materials helps us to increase our knowledge about Christ. The wisdom and knowledge of God are unsearchable (Romans 11:33). These spiritual materials document personal encounters with God and gaining access to them helps you to enrich your spiritual wisdom about God.
To increase in the knowledge of Christ, we must have genuine unbiased hunger and thirst for God.

The Bible in Matthew 5:6 says: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” A genuine hunger and thirst is the ticket to a world of unstoppable increase in the knowledge of God. We will never know God enough because the knowledge of God is inexhaustible. God is too deep for anyone to think he knows enough of Him. There is so much to learn of Him and from Him. Seek for more knowledge of God. There are spiritual consequences of not increasing in knowledge of God, which include: spiritual stagnation, lack of intimacy with God, spiritual blindness, unwise choices, moral decay and spiritual apathy.

• Today’s nugget: God is inexhaustible. Prayer: Increase my hunger to know You. Prayer lines: 08033299824.E-mail: [email protected]. Rev. Abel UkachiAmadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria.