Six independent sources — one row each, no host repeated — converge on a single message. “Best” is unavoidably subjective; this pick rests not on view counts but on Stanley’s own words inside the sermon and on how consistently others name its principle as the summary of his life and ministry.
Also circulated under its central line: “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him”
“If I had to choose one principle above all the rest, and if I could say to the world one thing that's the wisest of all, it would simply be this: obey God, leave all the consequences to Him.”
Dr. Charles Stanley, within the sermon — via sermons.love
Stanley himself elevates it: inside the message he says that if he could give the world one wisest principle, it would be exactly this. Independent writers call the message the fitting summary of his spiritual legacy, his lifelong preaching theme, his frequently repeated motto learned from his grandfather, and the principle that summed up his life perfectly.
Teaching from Acts 5 — Peter’s “We must obey God rather than men” — Stanley argues the wisest way to live is to make God the determining factor in every decision: obey Him fully and leave every consequence in His sovereign hands. Drawing on Galatians 6:7 and Romans 8:28, he shows obedience brings ultimate good, growth, peace and success, even amid conflict or suffering.
| Source title | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Obey God and Leave All the Consequences to Him | It represents a life completely abandoned to the will of God and sums up Dr. Stanley’s life perfectly. | washingtonstand.com |
| A Life of Obedience | It serves as a fitting summary of his spiritual legacy, representing his lifelong preaching theme of wholehearted obedience to God and his defining principle to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. | sermons-online.org |
| Obey God and leave the consequences to Him | Represented the most important principle Charles Stanley learned throughout all the years. | sermonindex.net |
| Obey God and Leave the Consequences to Him | It was Charles F. Stanley's frequently repeated life motto, which he learned from his grandfather. | bibleimpressions.org |
| Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him | It was a guiding principle and recurring saying of Dr. Charles Stanley that made a tremendous impact and changed the author's life direction. | embracingbrokenness.org |
| Charles Stanley - A Life of Obedience | If I had to choose one principle above all the rest, and if I could say to the world one thing that's the wisest of all, it would simply be this: obey God, leave all the consequences to Him. | sermons.love |
Evidence: 6 supporting source rows across 6 independent hosts, one URL per row; each row holds the source’s title for the message, why it matters, a summary where available, and its URL. Selection reflects Stanley’s self-identification and legacy significance, not view counts. Message summaries were trimmed to the argument above for space.