In Luke 22:20, Jesus says, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. No one comes to the Father except through me."

God communicates to us through his written Word in a language that can be interpreted literally while those words hold deeper spiritual meaning as well. The above scripture for example calls the Cup which holds wine the new testament in my blood.

The Cup being a symbol for the Word of God and wine from other scriptures we know represents divine wisdom and faith towards the Lord. In Mat 23:25 Jesus says, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, you make clean the outside of the cup, but within you are full of extortion and wickedness.”

In this example cleaning the outside of the cup meant that the Pharisees performed the literal meaning of the Word or law such as obeying the ten commandments in their viewable actions but in their hearts and minds they were filled with evil motives and intents.

A cup has an inside void and wall, a middle i.e. the physical cup and the outside wall. The inside void and wall are of course the cups purpose which is to hold something. The physical matter in the middle of the two walls is the means by which this purpose is carried out getting the outside result of being able to have a cup full of coffee or liquid.

Similarly, in all that is divine, there is a primary component, a middle component, and an outermost component. The primary component is God’s purpose and his purpose affects and instructs the middle component which represents God’s means to a result with that result being the outermost component.

People who understand this also understand that the outermost component of every divine work is complete and perfect, and everything is present in that outermost component because prior components are collectively present in it. As a result, the outermost component or result is a foundation.

Because the outermost component is both a container and a foundation, it is also a structural support which is why a cup is a perfect item to use to describe God’s Word and why Jesus used it in his condemnation of the Pharisees.

Jesus, therefore, instructed them, “Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup, so that the outside of them may be clean also.” To clean the inside the cup we understand that he was telling the Pharisees if they monitored their intents and thoughts to be in align with God’s will then their outside actions would be based on God’s perfect will instead of being driven by worldly desires and wickedness.

To the outside observer nothing would change but to Christ their actions now would connect them to him and be worthy of salvation.

The Rev. John Clowes explains, “As we see the outside of the cup above is equivalent to the outermost or literal component of God’s Word. The Word’s literal meaning is the foundation, the container, and the structural support for its spiritual and heavenly meanings...”

This is also why studying the Word of God is so powerful when we believe and do what is taught to avoid sin. Doing so lets God fill us like a precious vessel with his priceless spirit.

Through the example of what God taught the Pharisees, he says when we “clean the inside of our cup” in this manner our inner soul is forcibly shaped into his image so a connection can be made with him to fill our soul with his holy spirit and the resulting intent in our will becomes his purpose which is Godly.

The external physical life we live in this condition is thus naturally a form that is pleasing and acceptable to him and is of great value.

Therefore an earthly life that does not have external sin in it, if it is not accompanied with the purpose of not sinning to honor God, through which those actions allow Christ to justify us, that life is of no value to the Lord and we will find no place in his heavenly kingdom.

But doesn't Paul state in Romans 3:28 "We are justified by faith apart from the works of the Law"? Yes however "the works of the Law" he is referencing are the five books of Moses which are called "the Law"...

He is not speaking of the Ten Commandments. This is clear from the words that follow Romans, as well as from Paul's words to Peter chiding him for making others follow Jewish Religious practices i.e. "the Law."

Clowes summarizes the above stating, "We all have two faculties of life which are our intellect and our will. Our intellect is a vessel for truth and therefore for wisdom; our will is a vessel for goodness and therefore for goodwill..."

Clowe's conclusion was, "So Divine forgiveness is as constant, and as eternal, as Divine Love. But forgiveness does not take away a man's disposition to do evil..."

In closing I suggest we heed God's instruction in James 1:20, which states,"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly receive the word planted in you, which can save your souls."