Posted on 09/21/2021 7:07:30 AM PDT by sodpoodle
The Soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
'Step forward now, Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?'
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'no, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills just got too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
'Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'
~Author Unknown~
It's the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press?
It's the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech?
It's the Soldier, not the politicians that ensures
Our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
It's the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.
He is more like Benedict Arnold or Vidkun Quisling.
Army, Airforce, Navy, Marines, and now the Space Force.
Join the Space Force, climb the mountain.
Join the Navi, see the world. (via Yona)
I would wager that he has been on the receiving end of a lot of grift and has to protect those who know.
Blurry screen here...
According to Susan Rice, Bowe Bergdahl “fought with distinction” too.
There’s truth there.
I’d include cops as well.
Yes, I owe Benedict Arnold an apology for being useful at one point in his life. This is, of course, a trait Milley does not share!
Gods Word says: ”For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
“What if Benedict Arnold was captured by the Patriots?
He would have been executed. Like the British spy who worked with him was.
There is an anecdote from Arnold’s raids on the Virginia coast during the 1781 campaign, after he had betrayed the Continental Army. He had captured a young Continental officer during one of his raids and while interrogating him, Arnold inquired what might have happened if their roles were reversed. The unnamed American said that they would first hang Arnold and then give his wounded leg (crippled at Bemis Heights in 1777) full military honors. This is essentially what happened to Arnold in spirit, as the “Boot Monument” at the Saratoga Springs battlefield credits his leg but not the man himself for the victory.”
https://www.quora.com/What-if-Benedict-Arnold-was-captured-by-the-Patriots
That’s sounds nice but it is all BS. Only one question when you physically die, “what did you do with Jesus Christ?”
Bttt.
5.56mm
You should read about Arnold.
He was put in a no win scenario by his superiors..
Not an excuse, but an explanation.
Being betrayed by your commanding officers.....
14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless d ? 21Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” e and he was called God’s friend. 24You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Mine too.
I don’t think you understand what is meant by James 2:26 Which says “Faith without Works Is Dead”
James is affirming that deeds (or actions) are the byproduct of a living faith. Works do not justify us or make us righteous before God, nor are they the means to salvation. Rather, our deeds are the fruit that grows from one who is obedient to God’s commands and transformed by His grace.
If we believe that James 2:26 promotes works-based salvation, this passage would inherently contradict the writings of Paul and teachings of Jesus, which, thankfully, it does not. We are saved, not by works or deeds, but by the grace of God, redeemed by His work on the cross.
In his letters, Paul writes:
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5),
“to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).
“for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Throughout the New Testament, it is made abundantly clear that it is Christ who saves and by His wounds and “stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
By faith, we accept the power of salvation and forgiveness offered for sins, and in doing so, we learn to submit to the lordship and authority of Jesus Christ. We are transformed and “born again” in the process (John 3:3).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
In no way does James argue that works are the key to our salvation or provide access to God’s grace. “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). It is by God’s grace, a grace we do not deserve, and God’s work that we are saved, not our own.
Read more at: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/faith-without-works-is-dead-james-2-26-meaning.html
It is neither one nor the other but both faith and works together.
I responded as I did because you wrote:
in response to a short essay clarifying the point of view of someone who literally gave his life for his friends through his military service.
When we stand before God on judgement day, will He judge us by our works or will we be judged pure because of Grace through faith in Jesus Christ?
Do you think that we will be judged by our faith alone? Or do you believe James when he says faith without works is dead?
I think the soldier did more with his faith than some couch potato who says lots of words. There is a reason that so many people who join the military are people of faith and why so many who go into politics are not.
Sorry, in my editing I left out the part of what you wrote to which I was responding:
When we stand before God on judgement day, will He judge us by our works or will we be judged pure because of Grace through faith in Jesus Christ?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.