Grow Tall, Deep Roots

2 Peter is about spiritual growth. The book is sandwiched by the teaching of the knowledge of God and of Christ.

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet. 1:2).

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18a).

Both verses focus on growing in knowledge. It is not mere intellectual knowledge. It’s head-heart-hand knowledge. It’s relational knowledge. We grow in knowledge as well as in grace. We can only grow in grace by his grace alone. Apart from his grace, we increase in knowledge; we decrease in holiness.

Peter talks about growing in grace and knowledge in the midst of apostasy (2 Pet. 3:14-18a; also see 2 Pet. 2:1-22). Christians must be growing Christians because of the problems emerged from within—false teachings. It seems what Peter is saying is that growing in knowledge helps Christians discern the difference between true teachings and false teachings. The objective of such knowledge is grounded in “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” There are some core Christian beliefs we need to firmly hold on to (e.g. Christ’s sacrificial atonement, his divinity and humanity, the Trinity, etc…). Any knowledge that is derivative from the core Christian belief must be rebuked and corrected.

As Gene L. Green notes, “Such knowledge, which marked the believers’ conversion, also continues and increases throughout the life of the Christian. Along with grace, such knowledge is the strongest antidote against the destructive lures of the false teachers” [Jude and 2 Peter (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), p. 343.].

Christian growth is our greatest responsibility. After exhorting to the congregation what a godly life should be like (2 Pet. 1:5-7), Peter said, “The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin” (2 Pet. 1:8-9). In order not to “fail to develop these virtues”, we consciously tackle the reality of spiritual stagnation, struggle, and growth.

“Trees that grow tall have deep roots. Great height without great depth is dangerous. The great leaders of this world—such as St. Francis, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr., --were all people who could live with public notoriety, influence, and power in a humble way because of their deep spiritual rootedness.”

“Without deep roots we easily let others determine who we are. But as we cling to our popularity, we may lose our true sense of self. Our clinging to the opinions of others reveals how superficial we are. We have little to stand on. We have to be kept alive by adulation and praise. Those who are deeply rooted in the love of God can enjoy human praise without being attached to it” [Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperOne, 1997), April 05.].