Going to Jesus

Gospel Tracts

 Select a tract to read:

• Tracts 1-50

  1. How I Received the Holy Ghost 2. Jesus Is Coming Again 3. You Must Be Born Again 4. Stir Up the Gift of God 5. The World’s Most Dreaded Hour 6. What is Salvation? 7. Stand Still in Jordan 9. Grieved Hearts 10. The Second Death 11. The Father and the Son 12. Suffering and the Saints 13. Cancer Conquered 14. The Church? 15. How Shall They Preach, Except They Be Sent? 16. Have You Received the Holy Ghost Since You Believed? 17. Patience 18. Alone With God 19. Tithes and Offerings 20. Prayer 21. The True Sabbath 22. The Besetting Sin 23. The Cry of the Righteous 24. What Will the Harvest Be? 25. Marriage and Divorce 26. Taking the Name of the Lord 27. The Keys of the Kingdom 28. Works 29. Politics and Believers 30. Unequally Yoked in Marriage 31. Coming Out of Babylon 32. The Forgiven Woman 33. The New Earth 34. The Sin of Silence 35. Freedom 36. Gods of the Gentiles 37. Why Some Are Not Healed 38. The Seven Pillars 39. Life, More Abundantly 40. Fear 41. The Comforter’s Testimony 42. This is My Friend 43. Conversion 44. The Time Is Drawing Near? 45. Songs in the Night 46. The Master’s Net 47. Trials are Opportunities 48. Receiving the Messenger 49. Seven Messages to the Seven Pastors 50. Keep Yourself Pure

• Tracts 51-100

  51. The New Birth 52. John the Baptist and Jesus 53. Denying Jesus 54. Bruised Reeds 56. The Wise and the Foolish 57. Holiness 58. Is Jesus God? 59. Christ or Christianity 60. Have Faith In God 61. Worthy to Suffer 63. Four Kinds of Soil 64. Communion 65. The Fullness of Time 66. Baptism 68. No Room 69. Crucified With Christ 70. Homosexuality and the Bible 71. The Kingdom of God 72. The Gospel of Christ 74. Perseverance 75. The Resurrection 76. Salvation 77. Sanctification 78. New Commandments 79. The Sacrifice of Christ 81. The Sound of the Spirit 82. The Wrath of God 84. God’s Compass 85. Perfection 86. The Abomination of Desolation 87. Antichrist 88. The Way of Grace 90. Relationships 91. The Vineyard of God 93. Subdued 94. The Spirit of Christ 95. The Blood of Christ 96. Spirit of a Serpent, Spirit of a Dove 97. Gluttony 98. The Lost Lamb 99. Scripture Burners 100. Bleating and Lowing

 

Artists through the centuries have drawn pictures of Peter standing at a gate in heaven, holding a set of keys and allowing the righteous to enter while turning sinners away.  That is not what Jesus meant when he promised the keys of the kingdom to Peter.

When one receives the baptism of the Spirit, he has entered into God’s kingdom, for “the kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17), and “by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body” (1Cor. 12:13).  The “keys” Jesus gave to Peter were a special anointing to introduce this kingdom to the three kinds of people on earth in Peter’s time.  This is an essential point.  Every apostle was anointed with power, but none of them could minister the baptism of the Spirit until Peter unlocked that “door” to the three kinds of people on the earth.

Three Kinds Of People

After his resurrection, Jesus remained with his disciples forty days “speaking of things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).  The disciples, filled more with zeal than with knowledge, believed that Jesus’ plan was to overthrow the Romans and restore Israel’s past military and political glory.  When they excitedly asked, “Lord, is this the time you will re-establish the kingdom of Israel?”, Jesus responded, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has reserved to His own authority.  But you will receive power after the holy Spirit comes upon you, and then you will be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, even to the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:6–8).  After saying this, Jesus was taken up into heaven.  But note the three groups of people to whom Jesus said the apostles would be sent:

1. Jews (“Jerusalem and Judea”)
2. Samaritans (“Samaria”)
3. Gentiles (“uttermost part of the earth”)

To each group, in turn, Peter unlocked the door to the kingdom of God.

Jews

The Jews would be the first to hear the gospel (Acts 13:45–46), and with a powerful sermon on the day of Pentecost, Peter unlocked the door to them: “Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and declared to them [the Jews], ‘Men of Judea, and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words!’ ”  As a result of Peter’s preaching, many Jews that day believed in Jesus, repented of their sins, and were baptized by the holy Spirit into the family of God.  On that day, for the first time, Peter used one of his keys to the kingdom of God, the key for the Jews.  After Peter opened the Jews’ door, other anointed men could lead other Jews into the kingdom, but Peter had to be the first to do so because he had the keys.  Samaritans and Gentiles would be given the opportunity to repent and receive the Spirit, but the Jews had to be first (Acts 13:46; Rom. 1:16).

Samaritans

Next in line to enter into the kingdom of God were the Samaritans, who were a bridge between Jews and Gentiles.  Philip was the first to preach to the Samaritans.  He performed mighty miracles in Samaria, cast out demons, healed the sick, told them about Jesus, and baptized in water those who believed the gospel, “and there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:5–8).  But none of the Samaritans received the holy Spirit!  The Samaritans believed the word of God that Philip preached, but that is as far as they could go with him.  They could only stand at the door of the kingdom until Peter came from Jerusalem to unlock it with his spiritual keys.

In Jerusalem, upon hearing of the wonderful results of Philip’s preaching in Samaria, the assembly of apostles “sent Peter and John to them, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the holy Spirit (for as yet, it had fallen upon none of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Messiah, Jesus).  Then they began laying hands on them, and they started receiving the holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14–17).  The Samaritan door was now open.  As in the case of the Jews, now that Peter had opened the Samaritan door, other Samaritans could enter the kingdom by hearing other men preach the gospel.  Once their door was open, any Samaritan who desired the waters of life could freely drink.  Peter did not have to be present for every Samaritan or Jewish conversion.  He merely had to unlock their doors.

Gentiles

Peter’s last key was one which God had to coerce him to use, for Peter did not even think that such a key existed.  No one knew that God had a door through which even Gentiles would be allowed to enter into God’s kingdom.  The unlocking of a Gentiles’ door in Acts chapter 10 is an incredible story of faith and obedience, beginning with “a certain man [a Gentile] in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of a cohort called the Italian cohort, a devout and God-fearing man, along with all his house, and one who did many kind deeds for the people [the Jews] and prayed to God continually.”  As this man Cornelius prayed, an angel appeared to him, speaking a few words of encouragement and giving him a directive from God.  “Send men now to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is called Peter.  He is lodging with a certain Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Meanwhile, in Joppa, God was dealing with Peter’s heart so that he would be willing to enter into a Gentiles’ house.  With a remarkable vision, God compelled Peter to accept Cornelius’ invitation, and, having arrived in Caesarea, Peter began to proclaim the gospel to Cornelius and to his family and friends who had gathered in the house.  Unlike Philip with the Samaritans, Peter did not have to wait until someone from Jerusalem came to pray for these people to receive the holy Spirit; he had the keys with him!  And “while Peter was still saying these things, the holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the Word . . . for they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God.”

Peter’s work with the keys was now complete.  All three doors to God’s kingdom had been opened.  First for the Jews, then the Samaritans, and finally for the Gentiles.  Since that time, “whosoever will” has been allowed to drink of the Spirit of life freely.

While the door of God’s kingdom is still open, my Friend, strive to enter in.  Be wise.  “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.  Let the evil man forsake his way, and the wicked man, his thoughts, and return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, even to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:6–7).