Complete Gospel Tract Titles

Gospel Tract List
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
8. The Returned Father
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. Saving Strength
24. What Will the Harvest Be?
25. Marriage and Divorce
26. Taking the Name of the Lord
27. Keys to the Kingdom
28. Works
29. Politics and Believers
30. Unequally Yoked in Marriage
31. Unequally Yoked in Worship
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
51. Jezreel
52. The New Birth
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
63. Four Kinds of Soil
64. Communion
66. Baptism
69. Crucified With Christ
70. Homosexuality and the Bible
71. The Kingdom of God
72. The Gospel of Christ
77. Sanctification
78. New Commandments
79. The Sacrifice of Christ
81. Speaking in Tongues
87. Antichrist
88. The Way of Grace
90. Relationships
93. Subdued
94. The Spirit of Christ
95. The Blood of Christ
96. Spirit of a Serpent, Spirit of a Dove
97. Gluttony
En español
Bautismo
El Nuevo Nacimiento
¿Cristo o Cristianismo?
¿Que Es Salvación?
El Sacrificio de Cristo

Gospel Tract #43

Conversion

by George C. Clark, Sr. and John David Clark, Sr.

"When you are converted, strengthen your brethren."

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 is of no strength at all while the testator is living" (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 dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even 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, an honorable counselor, also waited for 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 should appear immediately" (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, will you now restore the kingdom to 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, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure 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 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 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 be converted and become as little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven." 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.