Set out with a friend to simplify the Book of Romans and Paul's excellent presentation of the gospel. This is the result, longer than I had hoped for and probably just a first draft.
1) God's perspective is there are three categories of people on the earth, those who are disciples of the Messiah, unbelieving Jews, and unbelieving gentiles.
2) God preserves a remnant by grace best identified as Messiah's community. Jesus/Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel so gentile disciples are grafted in to the chosen people totally by the grace and mercy of God.
3) As a result of the fall of man no one comes to the Messiah of Israel unless the Father drags them.
4) Our connection to God is found at the death of all hope in our own righteousness. We are trusting in the faithful God who calls non-existent things into existence, the God who gives resurrection life to the dead.
5) The massive accumulation of evil from the fall of man was all rolled on to the Messiah who freely, sacrificially gave His life to enable mercy for vessels of wrath.
6) Baptism/immersion in the Messiah is the death of our self-life and the resurrection Life of the Messiah in us is what comes up out of the water. Having died to sin and come in to continuous fellowship with the Father by the Spirit we are become partakers of His righteousness and freedom.
7) All our efforts to follow rules simply reveal the truth of our own wretched condition and each time we fall off the grace train into works/performance we are brought back to - "Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
8) The free gift of the Messiah's righteousness and life connects us to the Spirit's very nature. The Spirit prays through us, crushes fear, and makes us Sons of the Sovereign God who is working all things to manifest His Son for His glory.
9) The Father's heart is tied to the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Most of them have stumbled over the rock of pursuing righteousness through works. God preserves a remnant and reaches out to include gentiles.
10) God has voluntarily joined Himself to His chosen people - this stumbling was completely foreknown and foretold with the purpose of opening wide a gate of mercy for the gentiles. These gentile lovers of the Messiah of Israel - inflamed with the heart of the Father are meant to provoke the chosen people to jealousy by the manifest glory of the the relationship that they are in with their God.
11) Wisdom has performed the most astounding intricate work of redemption of all time. The Father has placed a temporary blindness on most of the chosen people so that gentiles can be grafted in. His severity is on display when natural branches are broken off. His kindness and the glory of His name are on display when in faithfulness to His irrevocable promises He brings every living Jew into His Kingdom glory at His appearing.
12) The reality of the outstanding mercy that bestows on disciples the guarantee of the coming Kingdom - the Holy Spirit - propels us into unoffendable, joyous Lamb love.
13) Set free of this evil age - we do not set up even on stick to be used to make a kingdom now. We rest, trust, and obey keeping all focus on the Kingdom to come, fulfilling the law through His love.
14) The Spirit will not let you look down on, put down or stumble your brother period!
15) As gentiles humility is our ultimate safe guard. The Jews have carried the covenants, and the sonship and the partial blindness - all resulting in a benefit to the gentiles. Now we can join the Lamb in His mission impossible - the 100% conversion of the Jew.
16) The whole unified glorious story was completely foretold by the God who declares the end from the beginning - now it is being made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.
Ultimately each point will have many scriptures tied to it, for further study for those who want to go deeper. It is just a jumping off point for conversation and gaining a wider perspective of the over all plan of God. The goal is always the same to be more in awe and fall more in love with Him.
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