Chloe sighed and looked puzzled as she glanced up from the Sunday school lesson she was studying. “I don’t get it. . . .” she mused aloud. Her father looked up from his newspaper. “What’s the matter, Chloe? Having a problem with your homework?”
“No, I’m not doing homework right now, Dad. I finished that math assignment a little while ago, and now I’m working on my Sunday school lesson for next Sunday,” Chloe replied.
“And what is it about your Sunday school lesson that brings such a big sigh? Can I help?”
“Well, I really don’t quite understand this, Dad. Our lesson this week is on the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It says here that when we are saved and sanctified, we need the baptism. You know I got saved three months ago. I learned about sanctification and how I needed to have my heart cleansed and the root of sin taken out of my heart. I could see that was something that would really help me, so I prayed and the Lord sanctified me. It feels so good! I really don’t see why I need anything more.” She stopped as her brother Jasper hurried into the room.
“Dad, can I borrow your laptop? I’m working on a project for school, and I started it on the computer in the study, but now I need to finish it with a couple of my friends. We’re meeting at Joe’s Donuts to finish it tonight.”
“Sure,” his dad said, “but be very careful with it. I think it’s in the bottom desk drawer in the study, Jasper. Check there.”
Jasper dashed from the room, and returned a minute later with the laptop in his hand. “I found it,” he said happily. “Thanks a lot, Dad. I’ll be back by 8:30 tonight.” Jasper grabbed his jacket from the chair and headed out of the room.
After Jasper left, Dad turned to Chloe. “I think your brother provided us with an object lesson concerning your question about the Sunday school lesson, Chloe.”
“What do you mean, Dad?”
Smiling at her puzzled look, he continued. “You might say, Chloe, that we are a little like a computer. Did Jasper say anything was wrong with our computer in the study?”
“No,” Chloe replied. “He said he needed the laptop instead in order to finish his project at Joe’s Donuts.”
“Exactly,” said her father. “Our computer is in perfect working order, but you can only use it for projects at home, where it can be plugged in. You might compare that to the Christian who is saved and sanctified.
“If you wanted to do your work in more than one place, you need a laptop that runs on a battery. Since it has a power source within itself, you can move to different locations and it will still work.”
Chloe looked thoughtful. “I think I see what you are getting at, Dad. Do you mean the baptism of the Holy Ghost is kind of like a battery?”
“That’s right, Chloe. Jesus said in John 14:17 that the Holy Spirit is with us when we are saved, but would be in us when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit—which we also called the Holy Ghost.
“When He is with us He walks beside us and helps us from the outside—like a computer that is plugged into the wall outlet. But when He is in us, that means He actually stays in our hearts, like a laptop that has its own battery. Then the help comes from the inside—it is a part of us.”
“I thought of something else, Dad. Our lesson says we receive the Holy Spirit and He helps us witness. A computer can’t go very far when it’s plugged in to the wall. But a laptop can be used anywhere!” She looked down at her lesson again. “I can see that there is still something I need. I’m glad we’re studying this lesson this week!”
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