Those Who Sail With You

| May 8, 2015

Origami boat on old book, close upBy Thomas Schetelich | Ferguson, Schetelich, and Ballew. P.A

Acts 27 records the voyage of the Apostle Paul to Rome.   He was a prisoner, being taken to Rome to appear before Caesar.   During the voyage, the ship was caught in a storm so strong that all hope was given up.  But Paul stood up and said, “I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you ….  For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ ” (v. 22 – 24).

The Bible often uses ships as a metaphor for the Gospel.  God’s judgment comes over the earth like the waters of the flood, but like Noah’s ark, the Gospel is a place of salvation.  The sea is a dangerous place – with the winds and the waves and the storms of life – but the ship is a place of safety to get you though the storm.  The Gospel is a safe place in the storm.

A ship is also used as a metaphor for a group of people, traveling together, towards a common destination, as in Acts 27.  Here, Paul is told that indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.  Personally, I love this verse.

The Lord knew right where Paul was.  The Lord knew about the storm, and the Lord was going to accomplish His purpose of bringing Paul to Rome.  And, in the course of the Lord accomplishing His purposes, the entire crew would be saved.  As bad as that storm was, everyone on that ship was sanctified and safe in the Lord, because Paul was on board.

This is a concept that we see often in the Scripture.  The Lord will surround you with His blessings; and so as a consequence, as a byproduct, those near to you will come under His blessing, and come under His protection whether they seek it or not, whether they know it or not.

You can find examples of this throughout the Bible.  God determined to bless Jacob – and so the flocks of Laban increased.  God determined to bless Joseph – and so favored the house of Potiphar.  We read in I Corinthians 7 that the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband and that the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife.

This is easy imagery to understand, and it is for me something I feel very deeply.  Life is a journey, and we are all on our way to somewhere.  You are not traveling alone.  On this voyage, on this ship, or at least on this leg of the trip, there are others with you – your family, your business partners, people you work with, your friends, your neighbors – people who for whatever reason are on this same vessel, on this same trip.

If you are in Jesus Christ, then the Lord God loves you, and loves you intensely.  He is not far off and just loves the world generally – He loves you.  Jesus Christ died for you, and so the blessings of God will pour out on you and your cup runneth over; and when your cup runneth over the blessings of God will spill out.  They will spill all over those around you.

People who have no idea what is going on, will have the blessings of God in their lives – because you are Christian.

People who think nothing of God, who think nothing of the Bible, who would not recognize the goodness of God if it fell out of the sky and hit them on the head, will have the goodness of God fall out of the sky and hit them on the head — because you are a Christian.

Do not ever underestimate the importance of your testimony, though it may be quiet and it may be modest.  Be a husband, wife, mother or father, worker or business owner, knowing that God will sanctify those around you.

Today, go to work with the dignity of being a Christian, and trust that God will grant to you all those who sail with you.

Category: News

About the Author ()

Email | Website | Thomas Schetelich is a founding principal in the law firm of Ferguson, Schetelich & Ballew in Baltimore, Maryland, and a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar. He heads both the firm’s corporate/ business law practice and its personal legal services department. He is an AV rated attorney awarded for highest standards of professional skill and ethical practice. Mr. Schetelich devotes much of his practice to assisting charitable and religious organizations, and is the President of The Christian Professional Network. He is a frequent speaker on Biblical and legal matters throughout the United States.