For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
The Word
Throughout the Scriptures, the importance of God’s word is clear.
God spoke the universe into existence
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
– Genesis 1:3
The phrase ‘And God said,‘ is repeated through Genesis 1: 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26.
Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the book of psalms is about the greatness of God’s word
105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
114 – You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.
160 – The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18), His word is truth (John 17:17), Jesus is the Word become flesh (John 1:14) and He is the truth (John 14:6).
All of Scripture is God’s breathed word. It’s living an active today (Hebrews 4:12) and His word teaches, corrects and trains us for every good work that we need to do.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
– 2 Timothy 3:16-17
However, it seems that many in the church today are unsatisfied with the sufficiency of God’s word. Instead thinking that we need to appeal to man’s desires and the world’s ways of thinking in order to bring people into the church. This then comes at the expense of making the Gospel clear and highlighting what really matters, the glory of God.
Often aspects such as sin, judgement and the cross are downplayed or omitted as these things are unpopular, however we should expect this and present it clearly because God tells us plainly:
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
– 1 Corinthians 1:18
God tells us in His word that His law serves to reveal to us that we have broken His law (Romans 7:7), illuminating our sin and leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).
The Holy Spirit must work to bring an understanding of this as He convicts of sin and judgement (John 16:8). We cannot decide when this will occur, however, His Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13) and as God’s word is truth, we must put forth God’s word clearly and plainly and trust that He works through it (Isaiah 55:11).
Paul sets for us the example in 2 Corinthians where he states:
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
– 2 Corinthians 4:2
Why Tracts?
Some consider tracts to be a lazy, outdated or ineffective means of presenting the Gospel.
Whilst it may be easy to say that it’s better to talk to people, the reality is that often we shy away.
We can struggle to initiate conversation or move from trivial conversation onto the greater issues.
Other times, a good conversation may start but circumstances prohibit it from progressing.
Therefore, a tract can help to begin a conversation or better explain if interrupted and left unfinished.
Simply put, a tract is a means of presenting God’s word, through which God works.
Below are some examples of how tracts have been used by God to bring people to Himself.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes
Romans 1:16