Why is this blog named “Sail of Faith”?
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. “Sail of Faith” is a spiritual metaphor that compares two unrelated things by indicating that “Sail of Faith” and “Act of Faith” are the same thing. Metaphors create vivid imagery and emotional impact, and they are very common. For example, “You are a peach”, “The test was a piece of cake”, and “You are a couch potato” are all common examples.
“Act of Faith” and “Sail of Faith” have common characteristics. “Act of Faith describes trusting in God’s direction and relying on the Holy Spirit to guide one’s life to reach spiritual goals or survive life’s storms rather than relying solely on personal effort.
“Sail of Faith” describes sailing as if it were an act of faith. The most important characteristic is that the wind in a sailboat’s sails is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the wind that fills our sails through trust, prayer, and attitude to move our sailboat forward and navigate life’s storms and reach spiritual goals, rather than being directed by circumstances.
Although the wind on a sailboat is not the same as the Holy Spirit, there are several Biblical references that liken the Holy Spirit to the wind. The Holy Spirit is described in Acts 2:2 as the sound of a “mighty rushing wind” filling the house of Pentecost. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting.” In John 3:8, Jesus compares the Spirit to the wind, highlighting its unpredictability and powerful nature. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the spirit.” These verses illustrate the Holy Spirit’s power, invisibility, and transformative presence, but they do not say that the Holy Spirit is the wind.
Although the wind powering the sails on a sailboat is not the same as the Holy Spirit powering Christian sailors’ lives, there are many similarities. The wind and the Holy Spirit are both unseen and only felt or heard. Those who do not believe in the Holy Spirit should consider that although we sailors cannot see the wind, we know the wind is real since the boat moves toward the goal. This is also true with the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life: we know the Holy Spirit is real because the Holy Spirit moves our lives forward towards God’s will.
Other parallels with “Act of Faith” and “Sail of Faith” include the anchor on a sailboat grounding Christian sailors to the truth of the Gospels, the Holy Spirit acting as a guide or navigator, the sailboat representing the church, and the mast as the cross.
If you want to learn more about the Holy Spirit, Pneumatology is the branch of Christian theology that studies the Holy Spirit. Paraphrasing Wayne Grudem, author of Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, he says on page 778, “The Holy Spirit is the active presence of God in the world and especially in the church.” This is verified by Act: 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem….and unto the uttermost part of the Earth.” In addition to the Holy Spirit bringing power, there are many other verses that describe the Holy Spirit also helping to purify us and cleanse us from sin (Matt. 3:11 and Luke 3:16) and to unify us (2 Cor. 13:14 and Phil. 2:1-2).
Although the idea of the trinity is too complex for an explanation in this blog, most Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the holy trinity, along with God the Father and God the Son. God is thought of in the trinity as one being existing in three persons. The Holy Spirit is God, just like Jesus is God, and God the Father is God. John 14:26 says that the Holy Spirit will teach and guide us, showing his personhood. “But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 says that the Holy Spirit knows God’s thoughts, so scripture also supports that the Holy Spirit is deity. “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
Both the Old and New Testaments describe the workings of the Holy Spirit. For example, the Old Testament describes how the Holy Spirit empowered Joshua and David with leadership skills. The New Testament is full of passages about the Holy Spirit, including how the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles, in Acts 4:8, and 1 Peter 1:12.
I do not think that the Holy Spirit is actually the wind, but I believe the Holy Spirit is very real on sailboats. Christian sailboat captains and crews can trust the Holy Spirit to guide their decisions with wisdom and discernment. Although the idea of the wind and the Holy Spirit being the same thing is not true, the Holy Spirit can be in each of us as we enjoy our sailboats, so I do think that “Sail of Faith” is an excellent name for this Christian blog for sailors.
How did this blog get its name, “Sail of Faith?
I believe that the Holy Spirit gives evidence of God’s presence. On a personal level, I have felt assured that I am a child of God and that I am saved through the work of the Holy Spirit. I have also experienced the Holy Spirit guiding me in revelations about understanding scripture, how it should guide my decisions on my sailboat, and how I deal with others. The URL name www.sailoffaith.com is a great name for a Christian blog for sailors, and I was surprised that it was available. Sailoffaith.com was formerly used by a church that did not act as a good steward of the site, and it was unattended and wound up being used actually for phishing. The church eventually stopped paying for the URL, and it became available just as I was looking for a URL for my blog. In my opinion, God gave me the URL www.sailorfaith.com, and I intend to use it for his glory.
Is there a sailing vessel named “Sail of Faith” associated with this blog?
Most Christian blogs for sailors are about an actual sailboat that sails to exciting destinations like the Caribbean, the South Pacific, or some other place. This blog is not about sailing to destinations on the water, but rather seeks to lead the reader to new understandings of Christianity and how to live a Christian life as a sailor. It is possible that somewhere there is a sailing vessel named “Sail of Faith,” but there is no sailing vessel associated with the “Sail of Faith” blog. The only sailboat named “Sail of Faith” I know of is the sailboat shown in our logo. See the contact page to view our logo.
Works Cited
Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Second Edition. Zondervan Academic, 2020.
Holy Bible: The Old and New Testaments King James Version. Holman Bible Publishers, 2023.