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.”
The message of the Gospel is good news. If it is not good news it is not the Gospel. When you hear the Gospel it must be so good that you want to share it with someone else; that you just cannot keep it to yourself. We used to think of Christianity as growing in your own effort and in the knowledge of your own mistakes and failures, but consider that the scripture does not say you must grow in your effort in changing yourself, nor grow in the knowledge of your weaknesses. Rather, it instructs us to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ,” and continues with “to Him be glory both now and forever.”
Grace is not merely important, it is everything. We are not our own saviours; we need the grace of Jesus Christ. Without His grace there is no hope for us. Grace is not just a word or expression, but it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the influence of God that changes us. 2 Cor 6:1 (AMP) gives a good explanation of what grace is: “That merciful kindness by which God exerts His holy influence on souls and turns them to Christ, keeping and strengthening them.”
The Gospel speaks of the finished work of Jesus and what He came to do for us; it does not speak of what you must do for God. When you hear the gospel it releases grace into your life, and that grace changes you. The very power that changed me from the man I was before I received Christ into the person I am today, and also the power that is changing me today, is called grace. It is the influence of God in our lives that changes us into the image of Christ. It transforms you to be just like Jesus in every way, thought, word and deed.