Glen Bond 1-7-06 Picayune Ms. Our Pastor this morning said that there is only one will in heaven. He said that your will must be broken before you will be saved. Mans will is contrary to Gods will. our late pastor Preached "look to the Lord", This same message is still being preached. "look to the Lord". This is what Gods word tells us to do. Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I tell you to do this or that, and if not we will miss salvation. Salvation is not of works. but by the power of God. There are many idols that a person sets up in the heart, and these idols must be forsaken before the Lord will save us. Some are more significant than others. But all must be forsaken. Some are as simple as preferring a short skirt in clothing. If the a person refuses to give up the dress style in order to be saved, then this person, in essence, is refusing to give up an idol. Some are living together with a boyfriend or girlfriend, and refuse to marry or separate. These people will never be saved while they have this idol set up in the heart. The bible tells us that we MUST forsake ALL. I think that the bible is referring to all things that are of greater importance than salvation in Christ. If you wont give it up for salvation, then you have made it of greater importance than Christ. Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. So, there are things that we must do before we will ever be saved. Doing these things will not save us, but they must be done. These things (our idols, if you will) are the wicked ways spoken of in 2 Chronicles: 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Here we are told to do something in order to be saved. Yet doing this is not salvation. God will not save a person while they are living a wicked life, you must turn from your wickedness and turn to Christ. You must forsake all. Then when the Lord has saved us, we are no longer under the law. I believe that this means we will not be judged by the law. Yet the law is still here for us to keep. Romans 6:14,15 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Christ said that he didn't come to put away the law. Matt. 5:17. The law is still for us, and we must still keep his commandments. The saved person, in one sense never sins after he is saved. He never sins in that he will never have to pay for that sin. It is as if the law no longer applies to us, yet Christ tells us to be perfect. He tells us to love one another, he says to love our enemies, and he tells us that all the law is summed up in the two commandments, love the Lord, and love thy neighbor. Matthew 22:37 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Do you love our pastor? Some people don't like our Pastor. I hope that you don't have a problem with him. Our Pastor has made some errors. Our pastor is only a man. He is not a perfect man, but I believe that he is the man that God wants to lead his people. I also know that no man on earth is perfect, so we must accept the fact that he is not perfect. I believe that God has, and is, using our Pastor for His work. Soon after the Lord saved me, He showed me that His leader is to be followed regardless of his errors. To illustrate, lets look at 1 Samuel 14:24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food. I believe that most people will agree that this was a foolish thing to do, forbid anyone to eat. Especially when these were soldiers hard at work. Yet, look how God stood behind Saul and his foolish commandment. Read 1 Samuel 14:36-44 Jonathan had only tasted some honey, and he would not have done it if he had heard the commandment of the king. He tasted the honey in complete innocence. Yet, because God's man had said it, God himself stood behind it just as if He had said it Himself, and Jonathan was sentenced to death. I believe that Pastor Pendarvis has been selected by God, I believe that he is to lead God's people, and I believe that God will hold us to whatever our pastor says just as He held Jonathan to what king Saul had said. Yes, the Lord has made known to me that He loves me. He has said to me "thou art greatly beloved". I look for the day when I can sit at His feet and praise him for all that He has done for me. Brother, I thank God for salvation in Christ. I will never cease to thank him for saving me. He found me far from God, loving sin and the world. I had many idols set up in my heart, but I thank Him that He gave me grace to forsake all, and look to Him and Him only for salvation.