Maybe some of us are just "basic", Taf. Count me in 
.
I've tried to address this in different ways. I'll try to explain my understanding of it this way.
How God, in His sovereignty, chooses to do things is not up to me. It's not about whether I understand it, agree with it, or like it. He may choose to handle things in certain ways that I personally (my flesh, my carnal mind) cannot fathom, and from my perspective I might say "God's not playing nice". I probably struggle with that EVERY single day, and sometimes MANY times throughout the day. My flesh and mind sometimes "scream out" against the things of God. It's the spiritual battle against the flesh. But what God chooses to do and how He chooses to do them isn't up to me - and guess who needs to change? 
What's up to me is to bow my will before Him, take Him at His Word, believe everything He has to say to me, both in my heart and spirit and what is written in the scriptures, and let that change me - my feelings, my perspective, my view, my very being (Taf, is that what you were getting at about "clean the inside of the cup"?).
I'll be the first (or second, I imagine somebody already has 
) to say that I'm lousy at doing the above. That's why I need His grace, his patience, his forgiveness, to slowly bring me along - because I am literally lost without Him.
So if God's Word says that God brings people to jealousy, then what does He mean? Not "did He say it", because He obviously did. But what does it mean, what does that look like, how am I supposed to live while God is working HIS plan? The fruit of the Spirit is (not directly quoting) righteousness, peace, joy...and there remains faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.
Again James..didnt mean to sound condesending, twas gettin late and at the time it was the easiest way for me to word it...maybe This way?
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
The soul\flesh is the will, desire, emotions Mind\heart , missing the mark is Not having the Mind of Christ, or His will, desire FOR us not aliegned to HIS..
The cleansing of the Cup is the renewing of this very Soul, its being renewed daily through HIS SPIRIT , or known as DYING to self ..we are a WORK being Created in Progress..being perfected through suffering
1Cr 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord,
I die daily. Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Its HIS LIFE in us which brings the HOPE of Glory to fruition , the full manifestation of Sons. ..US BEING ONE SPIRIT in HIM, HIM in US
Rom 5:10 For if, when
we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life. Its Through Much tribulation[ pressing In] we enter the Kingdom ...which is the inner man being made complete...IN US.
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and] exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
This Flesh Profits NOTHING..so, Its This Flesh which was alien To Christ as with Pharisees ,The Spirit is The head of the Soul ,But by their OWN [soul ]mind will and Desire was to remain where they were , The pride of the Flesh Refused The Life Saving Spirit in their midst...what was In their heart, manifested itself in deed.
[[[[[again it comes down to -are we FULL of His spirit[nature] Now , or do we have it only in part[nature]...]]]]
God uses The jealousy of the Flesh as with Israel , to stir Them, after all, It was Only the Kingdom at Stake.....
my TWO PENNIES, theres Brits here as well....Rofl darn yanks....
... mind you, most of my friends be American thesedays, care to adopt me...lol
love you guys
