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

 

These words, spoken by Jesus at the Last Supper, indicate that Simon Peter was not yet converted. In fact, it was impossible for anyone to be converted during Jesus’ earthly ministry, for conversion into God’s kingdom means to receive the Spirit, and as long as Jesus was still among us, the Spirit was not yet given (Jn. 7:39). Those who followed Christ prior to the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) were considered faithful Jews, not born-again people. They were under the Old Covenant and stayed under it until Jesus brought in a New Covenant by his death, resurrection, and ascension to offer himself to the Father for our sins (Heb. 9:24–26). “For a testament [covenant] is in force after men are dead; it has no force at all while the testator is alive” (Heb. 9:17).

Peter received the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, along with Jesus’ other disciples. And since Paul told us that we become God’s children only when we receive His Spirit (Rom. 8:9), we know that Pentecost was the day when Jesus’ disciples were born again.

Paul told the saints in Colossae that God has “translated us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13–14). This translation into the kingdom of God, this redemption and forgiveness, is conversion.

Obviously, no one could be converted, or translated into the kingdom of God, before the Spirit came to convert men into that kingdom. It is astounding that so many believe that the disciples were converted, or born again, before Jesus died, when his sacrificial death is what made the new birth possible. My friend, the baptism of the holy Spirit places us into the kingdom of God, just as it placed the disciples into God’s kingdom on Pentecost morning. There is no other way to be converted except by that baptism. This is why Peter taught that baptism saves us (1Pet. 3:21).

Jesus’ disciples were not the only ones who were waiting to be converted into God’s mysterious kingdom. Among others, “Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who himself also was awaiting the kingdom of God ” (Mk. 15:43). Watching the Master ride triumphantly into Jerusalem, and thinking that his kingdom would be an earthly one, Jesus’ excited disciples thought “that the kingdom of God was immediately about to appear” (Lk. 19:11). Even after his resurrection, as Jesus instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem for the Spirit, they were expecting an earthly kingdom. They inquired, “Lord, is this the time you will re-establish the kingdom of Israel?” (Acts 1:6). They didn’t know that by speaking of the Spirit, Jesus was already telling them of his kingdom. Only when Pentecost came did they finally begin to understand Jesus’ words, “Don’t be afraid, little flock; your Father is very pleased to give you the kingdom” (Lk. 12:32).

Being Conceived and Being Born

Spiritually or naturally, the seed being sown is what begins the process that leads to birth. Jesus compared the preaching of the word of God to the Seed of God being sown into human hearts (Lk. 8:11). So, even in the case of spiritual birth, the conception must come first. And just as in nature, just a few of the many seeds sown will produce fruit, so only a few who hear the word of God will be changed by it and receive the new birth. Many ministers confuse the conception with the birth; in other words, they confuse conviction with conversion. The apostle Paul, for example, was convicted on the Damascus road, not converted. He was converted three days later, when he received the Spirit (Acts 22:16). Being convicted of sin is not being born again, though it will lead to it if the repentant soul continues to follow after righteousness.

Moreover, just as in nature, some who are conceived (convicted of sin) will never come to the birth. Many were truly conceived by the word of God during Jesus’ ministry, but only about 120 continued in his word to be born again in Acts 2. Jesus knew that many would not love the truth he taught them, and he warned his disciples that they must continue in his word to really be his disciples (Jn. 8:31).

Many have been convicted of sin by the Spirit but have not continued in that conviction. They were conceived when they heard the word, just as a baby is conceived in its mother’s womb, but they have not grown in the womb and come out to be a part of God’s family. They never received the baptism of the Spirit. They do not understand that when Jesus said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again”, he was only saying, “You must receive the Spirit of God.”

The Lord warned his disciples, “Unless you are converted and become like little children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:3). This godly counsel should stir every heart which has been conceived by the word, but who has not yet received the Spirit, to renew his zeal for the righteousness of God.