The Cup

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Gospel of Thomas saying 89

89

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Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup?

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Don't you understand that the one who made the inside is also the one who made the

outside?"

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The soul.

The soul is the source of all desire. The body may hunger, and the world may tempt. But the soul is what desires. And beyond these desires, is the conflict it creates within itself by these desires. The soul desires of the body, the world, or of the Spirit.

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Galatians 5:19-21

19

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;

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idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions

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and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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When the soul acts by the body(the flesh), it doe so because it desires what those acts supply. But what the soul is blind to, is it is not seeking the Spirit, but instead, it is becoming dependant on the meaning these perishing acts offer. As believers, we struggle against what is temporary, so that we can focus on what is eternal. But we are weak, and that is what grace is for. We have the capacity to let go of what we desire from the world or the flesh, so we can find steady footing in the Truth.

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2 Corinthians 12:9

9

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

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I personally struggle with both worldly and flesh based desires. My soul seeks lesser things because they come without suffering. I strive to maintain holiness, but I fall into despair because I am not surrounded by holiness, but wickedness. I have to constantly seek forgiveness. Otherwise, I am unable to be sincere. I have to pick up my cross, and remain in the sufferance of temptation of world and flesh. That is the only way to have the gifts of the Spirit bear fruit that the Father recognizes as His.

To be clean on the inside is to acknowledge the grace upon me, and seek forgiveness. Without grace bought by the blood of the Lamb of God, it would be impossible to please the Father. But to rely on that grace, becomes an unstoppable force of power that is an attribute of our Christ and the Spirit of Truth among us. The Holy Spirit baptism is not a one time thing. The Holy Spirit baptism happens every time we ask forgiveness, and seek the Truth. This is what it means to cleanse the soul.

The soul is spirit, of the same unseen qualities of God. We enter the body of Truth, when we put aside the flesh and the world, and seek to have heavenly power work through us, power; which is also of the unseen quality. The soul that acknowledges this light, is acknowledged by the light. The soul that remains in the dark, is condemned to it. The soul can honor the Father by His Truth, or the soul can honor itself. Only one path shows the Father to be what is righteous.

The soul that desires of the flesh, is seeking what is easily found. The flesh supplies the mind and heart what is temporary, selfish, and destructive. The flesh does not cause this damnation, the soul does. The soul brings judgement on itself. The acts of the flesh bind the soul, and unless by grace and forgiveness they are released, the soul cannot find the kingdom to have the Holy Spirit act through them. This is again, the soul condemning itself.

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Romans 8:1

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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

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So for those who are in sufferance of the flesh and worldliness because of their confidence in their salvation, they are of the body of Truth and that Truth with them. They cannot be condemned of acts while they remain in the Truth.

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Romans 8:10

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But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

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Jesus did the Father’s will, and showed that the Father is what is righteous. The unseen qualities of God contain righteousness. So it is what is inside the cup that must be cleaned. It was not that Jesus washes the feet of his disciples to make their feet clean, it was to show them that through him; they become clean.

We serve by our soul first, then our heart and mind, and body. We cannot serve with a soul that relies on their emotions and instinct. We cannot serve with our knowledge of good and evil. We cannot serve with what our soul desires from the flesh or the world. We can only serve by seeking first; the unseen qualities of God in His righteousness. Honoring His power by acknowledging the Authority it comes by. Glorifying Him by acknowledging the unseen qualities of His Spirit.

The cup that is clean on the inside, does not stay clean with use. But by grace, the soul can become clean from it’s weakness.

‘Do not remain in sin’, is different then ‘my power is made perfect in weakness.’ The ‘do not remain in sin’, is for those who hate the tree but love the fruit, or love the fruit but hate the tree. They rely on their knowledge of good and evil and ignore what is the Truth. Their souls see the body as what is to be relied upon, what carries righteousness. They do not recognize that the soul is of the same unseen qualities of God. This is different than those who believe in Christ and know: ‘(His)My power is made perfect in weakness’. For they love the tree and seek the fruit, and fight the good fight to deny their souls desire to act on the what the flesh and world offer. These are the ones who can please God, as they struggle with what is physical, so to seek what is of the Spirit.

You are loved. I remind you that we all struggle to remain in sufferance. I bottom out often, I call it spiritual warfare, a war against the Spirit I seek to act upon. Our souls are open to all of heaven. It is up to us as individuals to sincerely desire to act in ways that show the unseen qualities of God; are truly the life we are described as eternally. Fight the good fight. Get back up everytime and pick up the cross. Honor the Father by His Truth.

Be blessed.

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