A Simple Gospel Tract

—A Great Savior For Our Great Need—

“When evening came, [Jesus] was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’

And Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped Him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”

—Matthew 14:23-33

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The Gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ; it is the very backbone of all that Christians believe and the sum and substance of all that the Bible preaches. Every religion and man-made philosophy under the sun instructs mankind on how we are to work our way to God; Christianity tells the story of how Jesus, God Himself, came to us in human flesh. Jesus Christ died for our sins on a Roman cross 2,000 years ago and prepared the way of salvation for all who call upon Him and believe in His name alone for justification. Perhaps you’ve never heard the Gospel before, or what I’m saying to you is completely foreign from what you thought Christianity was all about, so here is a quick summary of the Good News about Jesus Christ:

God is good and we are not (Romans 3:10); God is morally perfect and cannot even look at sin, much less be in the presence of sinning humans. The Bible makes clear that everyone—you, me, and every human that’s ever lived, except Jesus—has sinned against this holy and good God. What is sin? It is a hatred of God and His laws; it is to prefer anything over true worship, heartfelt obedience, and loving fellowship with the One who made us—all murder, adultery, theft, lying, and hate stems from a human heart that does not want to submit to and obey God. And because we are not good, we rightly deserve death and justice from the hands of a perfect and holy God, just as a judge would rightly punish a criminal in a court of law (Romans 6:23a). But God, being rich in mercy and steadfast love (Ephesians 2:4), sent His one and only Son to die for sinners (John 3:16), such that all who despair of themselves and their empty deeds, repent by turning from their sin, and believe that Jesus Christ died for them will not perish by eternal judgement in Hell, but have eternal life and unending joy in the presence of God Himself in Heaven—forever (Romans 6:23b).

In the account of Jesus walking on the water towards His wind and wave-beaten disciples, we see a clear image of the Gospel. The roaring crescendo of rain, wind, and waves is howling all about the disciples, and they are gripped by an otherworldly fear—little do they know that the One with them, the One going about the storm unseen and unphased, is to be feared above all.

Out from the doom and darkness of the raging deluge came the Lord, “who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). The disciples, adrift in their fear and unbelief, could not see Him whose “footprints were unseen” through the great waters (Psalm 77:19). In the midst of near destruction, it took only the soft cry of Peter—“Lord, save me”—to stir the Lord to action. There was no delay or deliberation on the part of the Lord; within an instant, as the words were upon Peter’s very lips, “Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31).

My dear friend, let not the long years and many troubles of this life cloud your sight so as to forget this simple truth: the God who made you loves you. His hand and His heart are ever extended out towards those who call upon Him for forgiveness from their sins, ready to draw them in and guide them towards home where all winds and waves will have finally ceased—“For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). We have a most tender and immediate Savior. Great is our need, but greater still the great Savior to serve our need!

Because God is good and just, sin must be punished. On the cross as Jesus died, He was punished by God the Father on our behalf: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25). By putting your faith in Jesus alone for salvation—not your understanding, church attendance, moral deeds, or good intentions—you are then united to Him, so much so that when God looks at you, He now sees the righteousness of Jesus His Son. Your sin and guilt are taken away in Jesus Christ when you put your trust in Him; through Christ, we are adopted into the family of God Himself, given the family name, and granted unending fellowship with Him now and in the world to come.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, you need only to recognize your great need for salvation from the just punishment for your sin and to recognize His great ability and desire to save. It took only the soft cry of Peter, “Lord, save me”, to stir the Lord to action. It is the Lord’s great desire to forgive you, to cleanse you from all your sins—past, present, and future—so that you can be with Him in Heaven forever. Indeed, this is why Jesus, God in human form, came to earth all those years ago—to seek and to save that which was lost. If you hear His voice calling you this day, call upon Him in response, for Jesus Himself said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

—Matthew 11:28-29

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Photo by Patrick Fore, Unsplash

Author’s Note: I warmly welcome and encourage you to share this Gospel tract with others. Indeed, that’s the very purpose for which I wrote it. It’s formatted so that at 12-point font it will neatly fill a single page, double sided. I like to carry a handful of print copies in my car so that I can leave a few here and there throughout my day, trusting that the Lord will do the rest.