Grace is the Triune God being life and the life supply to us.

[jidong xiao]

三章十七至十八节是本书信的结语。在十七节彼得说，“所以，亲爱的，你们既然豫先知道了，就当防备，免得被不法之人的错谬带走，就从自己坚固的地步上坠落。”这里彼得告诉我们当防备，因为背道的事、异端的教训，藉着曲解使徒的著作或经书，会把我们带走，使我们遭毁坏。这里的“带走”，原文与加拉太二章十三节说到彼得、巴拿巴和其他犹太信徒的“牵引”同字。彼后三章十七节的“不法之人”，必是指假教师和好讥诮的人，（二1，三3，）那些早期的异端者。彼得担心圣徒从自己坚固的地步上坠落。从我们坚固的地步上坠落，就是变得不坚固。

在十八节彼得下结论说，“你们却要在我们的主和救主耶稣基督的恩典和知识上长大。愿荣耀归与祂，从现今直到永远之日。阿们。”“长大”指明彼得在这两封书信里所写的，乃是生命的事。在恩典上长大，就是因着那由神圣的能力所供备永远生命的全备供应而长大；（一3～4；）在主的知识上长大，就是因着认识基督的所是而长大。这就是藉着享受恩典并认识真理而长大。（约一14，17。）恩典就是三一神作我们的生命和生命的供应。我们需要在这生命的供应、在这滋养上长大。所以，在恩典上长大，意思是在这生命供应内里的源头上长大。在本书信的开头，彼得说到恩典；现今在末了，他嘱咐我们要在这恩典上长大。

In 3:17 and 18 we have the conclusion of this Epistle. In verse 17 Peter says, "You, therefore, beloved, knowing these things before, be on your guard lest being carried away by the error of the lawless, you fall from your own steadfastness." Here Peter tells us to be on our guard because of the apostasy, the heretical teachings, that may carry us away to destruction by twisting the apostles' writings or the Scriptures. The Greek word rendered "carried away" here is the same word used in Galatians 2:13 concerning Peter, Barnabas, and other Jewish believers. In verse 17 "the lawless" must refer to the false teachers and mockers (2 Pet. 2:1; 3:3) as the early heretics. Peter is concerned lest the saints fall from their own steadfastness. To fall from our steadfastness is to become unstable. 

In verse 18 Peter concludes, "But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and unto the day of eternity. Amen." The word "grow" indicates that what Peter has written in his two Epistles is a matter of life. To grow in grace is to grow by the bountiful supply of eternal life provided by the divine power (1:3-4), and to grow in the knowledge of the Lord is to grow by the realization of what Christ is. This is to grows by the enjoyment of grace and realization of truth (John 1:14, 17). Grace is the Triune God being life and the life supply to us. We need to grow in this life supply, in this nourishment. Therefore, to grow in grace means to grow in this inward source of the supply of life. At the beginning of this Epistle Peter speaks of grace, and now at the end he charges us to grow in this grace.