Render unto Caesar?
Do What You Believe: or you won’t be free to believe it much longer
By Steve Deace
If you’ve read a few of my past reviews and you’re now reading this one, you probably believe America is in trouble. The nation has forgotten its founding Judeo-Christian values. Do What You Believe: or you won’t be free to believe it much longer is a 141-page guide that speaks directly to Christians worried about the country.
Kyle with his copy of Do What You Believe, by Steve Deace
Steve Deace, the author of the bestselling book Faucian Bargain, has penned another winner. A BlazeTV radio and podcast host and a prolific writer, Deace accepted Christ in 2003 and has consistently supported conservative Republicans such as Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz. In 2020 he announced he would vote for Donald Trump.
In the introduction, Deace cites A Christian Manifesto by Francis Schaeffer. While not as profound or detailed as that earlier book, Do What You Believe is a manifesto for our time. Deace starts by examining Romans 13. This chapter calls for Christians to be subject to the governing authority and is one of the most misunderstood chapters of the New Testament. I wish every Christian could read that chapter of Deace’s book and realize how Satan or the “spirit of the age” as the author puts it, has twisted the meaning.
Charles Mizrahi interviews Steve Deace.
In the next chapter, Deace scrutinizes the Declaration of Independence and asks, “Why have we strayed so far from the path to freedom our forefathers blazed for us? I believe it’s because most of us have never truly read, studied, and thus understood the words in our founding document…” He then comments on each section showing how it refers back to God for authority. The text of the Declaration states that we are endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights and that among them are “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Further on he concludes, “there is a God and it’s not government.”
The third chapter is titled, “Choose This Day,” a clear reference to Joshua 24:15. While maintaining a Christian theme from this chapter on through the rest of the book, Deace outlines both why and how people of faith must fight back against the spirit of this age. We are coming to a time when civil disobedience may be necessary. This book explains how and when a Christian might make those tough choices. Each chapter ends with discussion questions that help draw out points and would aid in a group study or book club. On the final page, the last discussion question asks, “What are you prepared to do?”
This is the first book by Steve Deace that I have read, but it certainly won’t be my last. The book is thought-provoking, easy to understand, and a quick read. Over the few days, it took me to finish it, I ran a highlighter dry marking passages. I’m considering buying a second copy to loan to friends. I recommend Do What You Believe to all Christian conservatives.
Have you read Do What You Believe? Are you worried about the direction of the country? Is this a book that might be helpful? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below.
