the greatest commandment of God (Jesus Christ) is first, to love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul and mind and the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. What Charles Stanley was talking about in his sermon was that Christians in Christ, are called to recognize and be alert and respond to God-given opportunities because it has a purpose, others have needs that we can help and God uses us for that so it's not about us in the selfish sense but about helping others and God will bless us either on this earth or in heaven but I think He will bless us somehow on this earth. He also says that if you're busy but there's a God-given opportunity, God enables us to be able to meet the need of another person so as long as it is a God-given opportunity we shouldn't think we're too busy and should always try and never make excuses because there's a purpose that God knows about or that we don't know what we ourselves will be missing out on and that we will never be able to have that opportunity again (a passing opportunity). Charles Stanley also talks about a secure eternal salvation in the end. I agree that as we follow God/Christ Jesus' will in our lives and do not deliberately/intentionally sin (we might fall and get back up again by repenting but we are better people with God because we know perfect love as he teaches us and the world can become a better place), we will have eternal security then but if you do not follow God's will, God will say "I never knew you! When I was thirsty you didn't, when I was hungry, you didn't, when I needed clothes you didn't, when I was sick and in prison you didn't visit me". You will then not be eternally secure but be separated from God because God cannot be with people who are in sin without a care in the world, be united with evil or darkness. You must receive the Holy Spirit indwelling in you (then having God's Spirit on the inside of you!) by being baptized, reading the whole Holy bible, following Christ, and the Holy Spirit will make you want to always strive to be perfectly good/sinless. He doesn't force you to love Him but he gives freewill and what a wonderful opportunity to get to love God who blesses and provides for your needs and who promises that if you delight in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart and He cares. There are some things that will happen in this world but as it says in the bible, neither life nor death can separate us from the love of God and we should not be afraid of the one who can kill the body but not the Spirit. Satan comes only to kill, steal and destroy but God comes so that we may have life and live it more abundantly and to the full. We must stand on God's Word of truth and he also says that the Word is living and active! It is, it's real. God bless.
