The other day my wife asked me to make her up a little bit of wood trim which she needed for a particular project.
I hauled out my router table and dusted it off and was soon in business.
For any of you who have not used a router table, let me explain the process a little bit.
The router blade has a shape to it (the desired shape which is wanted on the side of a particular board).
There are guides which line the board up with the spinning router bit so that the board will be routered (shaped) only on the outside edge into the shape which is desired.
I can see a similarity between this board being shaped by the spinning router bit and the Christian being shaped into the likeness of Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit brings us, through His workings into the shape of Christ, just as the router bit brings the board into the desired shape.
We can also imagine the guides on the router table, as being similar in purpose to the Word of God, keeping us in line with what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us.
However, there will always be the problem of the board moving away from the router bit as it is pushed along side the bit and the guides. Because of the imperfections in the board, the spinning router bit will cause this to happen much of the time. And I might add there are always some kind of imperfections in a board, just as there are imperfections in Christians.
The best way I know of to solve the problem with the board which seems to want to leave the edge of the router bit, is to place a brace on the other side of the board, which will keep it tight against the guides on the other side of the board and the router bit. With this brace in place on the opposite side of the board as the router bit, I am able to push the board along the router bit with ease without it leaving the edge of the router bit.
So it is with every believer who wishes to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit (router bit), and wishes to be directed by the Spirit according to the Word of God (our Guide). We also need another guide(or brace) which will hold us against the Guide of the Word of God and in line with the working of the Holy Spirit.
What is this other guide?
It is our continual thankfulness (Heb. 13:15) for all which Christ accomplished for us on the Cross. When we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope, each day (Heb. 3:6), keeping in remembrance what the Apostle Paul preached to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 15:1-4). It is our thankfulness that; as Jesus said in John 6:29, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him Whom He has sent.
It is our denying ourselves and taking up our Cross daily and following Him.
It is our continual daily Faith in Christ and what He accomplished for us. Being relentless in our ceaseless efforts to fight the good fight of faith and to be found in Him on that day.
This, I believe is the other guide which holds us up against the Word of God and the Holy Spirits workings within our lives.
This is the guide which continually presses us into a position through which the Holy Spirit can shape us into what He desires.
