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Lethal
Pride
John
Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a
teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army
general in the American Civil War.
In the Civil War, he advanced in rank from
colonel to Major General as he led his troops in
battle.
Sedgwick was wounded many times in the course of his
military career, but there is
an unfortunate – yet tragic – incident surrounding
his fatal wounding.
It
was the beginning of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court
House, on May 9, 1864.
His corps was probing skirmish lines ahead of the left
flank of Confederate defenses and he was directing
artillery placements. Confederate sharpshooters were
about 1,000 yards away and their shots caused members
of his staff and artillerymen to
duck for cover. Sedgwick strode around in the open
and, according to Civil War historian Shelby Foote,
was quoted as saying, "What? Men dodging this way
for single bullets? What will you do when they open
fire along the whole line? I am ashamed of you. They
couldn't hit an ELEPHANT at this distance!"
Although
ashamed, his men continued to flinch and he repeated,
"I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They
couldn't hit an ELEPHANT at this distance!"
Seconds later however, he
was struck by a fatal bullet just below his left eye.
He was the highest-ranking Union casualty (the most
senior by date of rank of all major generals killed)
of the Civil War. *
General
Sedgwick had made a FATAL mistake; he had
underestimated his enemy!
His
demise reminds US of an important truth: “Pride
goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs
16:18).
You
and I may be tempted to think in regard to our sin, “Oh,
it won’t affect ME; I’ll be all right.”
We think the enemy just isn’t that powerful.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Sin will KILL and DESTROY (Romans 6:23; James
1:13-14). Nothing
pleases our enemy (Satan) more than for us to think
that it won’t.
The
Good News (the “Gospel”) is that Satan has been
defeated and there is a Remedy for our sin.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son to
pay the price for our sin by dying on the cross
(Ephesians 1:7). WHEN
– we respond in trusting obedience to Jesus – believing
in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from our sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confessing
Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized
(immersed) in His name, THEN –
His blood serves as payment for our sin.
And, as long as we CONTINUE to follow Him
faithfully, His blood will CONTINUE to cleanse us from
sin (1 John 1:7).
Whether
we want to believe it or not, PRIDE goes before
DESTRUCTION and sin WILL
destroy. We
ignore the danger at our own peril....
Don’t
allow PRIDE and DISBELIEF to cause YOU
to be another casualty in the battle over your soul.
TRUST
and OBEY Jesus that you may LIVE with Him forever in
heaven!
David A.
Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*
Information gleaned from: "John Sedgwick." Wikipedia.
Wikipedia, 2007. Answers.com
09 Feb. 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/john-sedgwick
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