The Steamer and the Sailing Boat

“John bore witness: ‘I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him… And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.’” (John 1:32, 34).

It was a very special moment in the history of mankind. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the living God, stood in the Jordan, surrounded by sinners, to be baptized by John. As He prayed, heaven suddenly opened. God, the Holy Spirit, descended on Him in the form of a dove—and remained on Him (see John 1:32-34).

This had never happened before! In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God sometimes came upon individuals for a time to equip them for a special ministry. But after the work was done, He left them again. Even the man after God’s heart prayed, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11). The Son of God, on the other hand, was the first Man on Whom the Spirit of God remained without ever leaving Him.

In view of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever… he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Today the Spirit no longer comes to believers for a time, but dwells in them permanently. This is a big difference, as the following illustration shows:

Imagine an old sailboat and a modern steamboat. The sailboat needs an outside force to move forward. The boat only gains speed when the wind blows. This is, essentially, how it was with the believers before Pentecost, when the Spirit came from time to time. The steamer, on the other hand, is driven by an ‘inner’ force. Since the turbine is on board the ship, the steamer is independent of external circumstances. This corresponds to the believers after Pentecost, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells and works uninterruptedly.

Are you just waiting for the circumstances to be favorable to move forward? Trust that the Holy Spirit Who dwells within you will give you the strength to continue despite difficult circumstances, and take steps in faith! Paul writes, “Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). Have you ever taken time to ponder over this verse? What things can the Spirit of God do in you that you have not yet thought possible?

J.P.S.