2 Peter 1:2–3
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”
One translation concludes verse three with the words, “who called us by His own glory and excellence.” From the opening of this letter, Peter offers more than a polite greeting. He speaks a blessing — one that points directly to the life God desires for His people.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you.”
These words appear often in the New Testament. Paul, Peter, and John regularly begin their letters this way, sometimes adding mercy as well. One writer observed that grace was a familiar Greek greeting, while peace was a traditional Hebrew one. When the apostles joined them together, they did more than combine cultures — they deepened the meaning. And since multiple writers use the same blessing, the wisdom behind it is best attributed not to human creativity, but to the Holy Spirit.
Grace and peace are not simply polite wishes. They describe the condition of a heart shaped by God.
To live under God’s grace is to live under His favor and influence. The word translated grace here is charis, meaning goodwill. It carries with it the idea of God’s unmerited favor at work within us — changing the heart and leaving its mark on the life. Grace is not meant to be momentary or circumstantial. It is meant to abide.
Peace, likewise, is far more than the absence of conflict. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and spoke the simple words, “Peace to you.” It was not merely reassurance — it was restoration. Later, He had promised them, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). The peace Jesus offers reaches beyond outward harmony and settles deeply into the mind and soul.
The Apostle Paul speaks of this peace in Philippians 4, describing it as a peace that surpasses understanding — one that guards the heart and mind through Christ Jesus. It is not produced by favorable circumstances, but by trust placed fully in God.
Peter tells us that these two — grace and peace — are not static. They are meant to be multiplied.
That multiplication comes, he says, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. This knowledge is not solely informational. While Scripture reading and faithful obedience are essential, knowing God is ultimately relational. It is learning to trust Him, to love Him, and to let His presence shape the inner person.
Peter reminds us that God’s divine power has already provided everything necessary for life and godliness. Nothing essential has been withheld. The Scriptures echo this assurance: “God is both sun and shield; He gives grace and glory and withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly” (Psalms 84:11). Like a shepherd, He gathers His flock and gently leads them.
Throughout history, God has demonstrated His power to save and sustain. He preserved eight souls in the flood. He delivered Israel through the Red Sea. He held back the Jordan River so His people could enter the promised land. And through baptism, He washes away sin and raises His people to walk in newness of life.
All of this is made possible through Jesus Christ. Paul reminds us that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the One through whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together. Peter adds that through Christ’s resurrection, believers are born again to a living hope — protected by the power of God and promised an inheritance that will not fade.
Confidence in these promises grows as we come to know God more deeply. Not by earning salvation, but by drawing near to its source. Faith becomes more than belief; it becomes trust. Love becomes more than affection; it becomes self-giving and Christ-centered.
Paul describes this knowledge in Ephesians as something rooted in the inner person — Christ dwelling in the heart through faith, strengthened by the Spirit, grounded in love. It is the love of Christ — known, yet surpassing knowledge — that fills us with the fullness of God
When our focus turns inward — not toward self, but toward the heart shaped by Christ — we find that our needs are met and our desires begin to reflect His will. Grace takes root. Peace settles in. And both begin to grow.
Peter’s opening words remain as true today as when they were first written:
Grace and peace can be multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
May we seek that knowledge, rest in His provision, and live under the blessing He so generously gives.
Did you miss the last article in the series? What About Faith?
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