"Relationship: From Precept, to Principal, to the Person of God"

Precept: 1) a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought; 2) law Principle: 1) a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning; 2) a concept Person: 1) a human being regarded as an individual. Jon opened his thoughts by exploring the topic of adoption. Adoption is personal and relational. Whereas law and principles are often the exact opposite. To call God Abba, or Dad, is to say that God is relational. To call Jesus an actual person is to claim God is personal. To say there is a Trinity means that the force behind everything we see is pulling things into proper relationship with itself. In 1 Corinthians 15, we read that the power of sin is the law. The purpose of the Law was to help us to know we need a Savior. The law was never meant to be the essence of relationship, but a catalyst to bring us into relationship. We can see this from the beginning. God creates humans to be in loving, intimate, relation with him. Likewise, principles or the concepts of the law, are intended to help us make good people and societies. However, simple principles, or ways of being, can't by themselves change hearts. Jon gave the example of the Roman Empire. The Roman society fell apart from within when its principles and precepts failed. Which leads to the person of God. God calls us his children. Jon concluded to say that God isn't looking for us to self-qualify to be reunited with Him. Rather He is looking for us to accept the gift of grace through faith to walk into the father's arms.