Truth: Conversion creates a distinct people and not dignified persons. God is creating a people who appear, on the surface, to have nothing in common. He isn’t just creating any people but a distinct people who stand out because they represent a holy God. God’s plan from the beginning was to create a people, not individual persons, for his name.

Response: When others think of our church, do they think of it as a group or as individuals? How is our church distinct in our culture and community? Do we, as a church, look distinct and different from our culture? Prayerfully consider how you need to think of conversion more corporately rather than only individualistically.

Truth: Conversion creates a distinctively pure people. The family of God is pure because the Spirit is pure. We have been made one with Christ through the Spirit. Therefore, we have been made a new person. We don’t live like the old person we were. We “put off” the old man and “put on” the new man. We pursue purity not so that we can be made new. We pursue purity because we have already been made new.

Response: How much attention and effort do you devote to the pursuit of purity? Are you intentional about putting away everything that is displeasing to God and living a pure life? God has given us the power and the desire to walk in purity. Take the initiative to establish habits that grow you in putting off your old self and putting on your new self. Be eager to protect the purity of your gospel family.   

Truth: Conversion creates a distinctively gracious people. The people of God are a people who have experienced the grace of God so we ought to be the most compassionate and loving people in the world. The quality of our graciousness is distinct. It is a deep graciousness rather than a superficial graciousness. The extent of our graciousness is also distinct. We are willing to show our graciousness to all.

Response: How do you treat people whose beliefs are polar opposite of your own? For example, how do you think about and treat the homosexual community? Do you find yourself treating them with contempt or rudeness? Or, do you show them compassion and kindness? Repent for any lack of compassion you have had and look for opportunities to initiate and cultivate graciousness.

Family Response

Truth:  As we learned last week, church is gathering with other people who have been made new by God, through conversion, to live out new lives in Jesus together. God gives all of us new desires as well as power to act upon those new desires. One of those desires he gives us as a people is a “distinctive graciousness.” The church, the people of God, are a people who have experienced the grace of God in conversion so we ought to be the most compassionate, kind, generous, and loving people in the world. It is impossible to truly experience the grace of God and not be transformed into a person of graciousness.

Response: Children may experience a “distinct grace” in the church that they don’t experience in other settings. They may see the sharing of possessions, time, and love that is different from what they see at school. Talk frequently about where this “distinctive grace” originates. They should witness the reality of the Gospel in the actions and speech of others at church. Acknowledge when others display grace and compassion so that they become aware of what the Gospel looks like in the daily routines of life. Remind them that we are gracious and compassionate to others because God was first gracious and compassionate to us.