Book Review

BIOGRAPHICAL ENTRY

Meyer, Dave, Freedom Is Costly, But Priceless, New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2021, 237pp.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF AUTHOR

Dave Meyer is the vice president of Joyce Meyer Ministries. He has served in full-time ministry for more than 30 years, and his wisdom and stewardship in finance and administration have helped build Joyce Meyer Ministries into what it is today. A veteran of the United States Army, Dave is also passionate about America’s Godly heritage and the history behind this nation’s biblical principles. Dave has been married to Joyce for over 50 years and they have four grown children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Dave and Joyce Meyer make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: “How Did We Get Here?” This is a book of principles. It is a book about freedom. It is for anyone who wants to understand what’s happening in the United States of America—and what we as Christians can do about it. America was built by people of faith with Godly principles. Today, we no longer know our heritage. The void in knowledge has opened the door for Marxism, socialism, and humanism. The lack of principles and morals that formed and shaped our country is leading our country into bondage.

CHAPTER 2: “What We Have Is What We’ve Allowed.” Wherever we look, reverence for God has been removed from our government and nearly every aspect of society. In the early decades of our country, many professing Christians tolerated policies and practices that violated biblical principles. In the early 1930s, four major shifts happened almost simultaneously in our country that caused the country to become more secular oriented than God-centered in our government and education. There is no other government on earth that was founded on words that declared belief in God’s goodness and the value of every human being.

CHAPTER 3: “Why Liberty and Freedom Are Vital.” Contrary to popular belief, liberty was not “made in America”—it is a gift of Almighty God. Freedom is the right to be and do. Liberty means that there is a source of the right to be and do. Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Freedom is maintained when people take responsibility for the history of the principles that this nation was founded upon.

CHAPTER 4: “A Fresh Look at History.” America’s history has been revised by those who advocate for humanism, secularism, and socialism that have invaded our government and education system. Our nation was founded on Godly principles. The emphasis shifted to criticism of those not perfect while omitting those who stood for Godly principles in our government and education. We are yielding our rights and becoming more dependent on the government and not God as our source. We are losing our freedom because we no longer live by Godly principles.

CHAPTER 5: “The Word of God as Sacred History.” The bible is a history of God and His people. Deuteronomy 30 records God’s call for obedience by society, personally, and family. The decline of family means no one is passing on God’s principles to the next generation. We have not educated our children in what they are about to encounter when they leave home and head to college. They have become victims of humanist, secularist and socialist indoctrination. A society is exalted due to God’s favor when the upright is influential.

CHAPTER 6: “The False Promises of Socialism and Communism.” The ultimate goal of communism and socialism is to remove God from the lives of people. God stands in the way of government controlling the lives of people. If we undermine patriotism, morality, and spiritual life, America will decline. Ignorance of our history allows socialism to slowly invade our government and education, which will bring people into bondage to government.

CHAPTER 7: “Faith in Action.” The founders meditated on God’s word and by it they were motivated to take civic responsibilities in their communities. Prayer is the starting point of our involvement in our civic responsibilities to God and our country. We must vote for principled candidates and hold them accountable for their service to their communities. President Thomas Jefferson created the term “a wall of separation between Church and state” was not to protect government from religion. It was to minimize government power to prohibit and interfere with religious expression. Too many churches and Christians across the country have failed to engage in influencing and shaping their local communities.

CHAPTER 8:”Restoring Our Education.”Christians in America are relinquishing their rights because they are intimidated into withdrawing their convictions. Knowledge of one’s history is necessary for one to have dignity and courage. Intimidation leads to compromise of our dignity because our education system determines how we ought to think and believe. The factual approach to education teaches what is available. The principled teaches conception, process and manifestation. It teaches earning by working while the factual approach teaches taking which leads to violence.

CHAPTER 9: “Can a Christian Also Be a Patriot?” We cannot sustain this nation without fulfilling our patriotic responsibility. Some paint America as an unjust country. They have benefitted from our freedoms but they have failed to appreciate and take advantage of the opportunities in front of them. America’s support system includes family, a healthy church, and a healthy education system. Christian viewpoints are now demonized. That Christians are hated should not be a surprise because Jesus warned us and told us to count the cost of following Him (Matthew 10:22; Luke 14:28).

CHAPTER 10: “Revival or Restoration.” Revival is bringing back to life. Restoration is taking steps to restore good health. The pulpit is responsible for the life and health of our government and our morals. When the church is silent, it relinquishes its authority and God is removed from government decisions. We have become accustomed to moral relativism and individualism, and we have mocked Judeo-Christian values. In the process restraints on social conduct has been eroded; seen in our business and government. The Bible and true American history are necessary for Christians for maintain the principles and morals necessary for a free society. Remembrance, repentance, responsibility, revival, and restoration are necessary guidelines for the restoration of our country.

CHAPTER 11: “Be Strong and Courageous.” We do not have to accept decline in our nation. We take responsibility to know the godly principles that made America great, and we must pass this knowledge to our children. The cure for our nation is to know biblical history and the true history of our nation so that we know what we did wrong and what we did right. We must protect children and families. It is our duty and privilege to pick up where our predecessors left off what our fathers did to achieve our freedom and liberty. We must take responsibility for knowing the Godly principles that this nation was built upon, and we must be courageous in standing for our freedom and liberty.

CRITICAL EVALUATION

In Freedom Is Costly, But Priceless author Dave Meyer effectively argues that America is in danger of losing its freedom. Meyer argues that the founders used the bible to guide them in establishing a constitutional republic. The principles that this nation was founded upon were largely bible based. They believed that the nation would succeed only if God was the authority that this nation would follow. The founders knew that the Declaration of Independence and the constitution were not the final word on achieving the goals of the new republic. They were beginning documents that would provide a framework for the new nation to build upon. Meyer states that today we are losing our freedom and liberty.

This is a well written book and Meyer connects the points of his argument so that the reader never loses the main point. We do not know the true history of the founding of the nation. Ignorance leads to silence and failure to take responsibility. Meyer chronicles past events that have led to an increase in decisions in education and government that stirs the nation from the course that the founders set for the nation to follow. The American citizen; especially Christians must take responsibility for what is taking place in our education and government. This can be achieved through voting for leaders based on their principles. After leaders are elected the citizens must hold the leaders accountable for their actions.

I believe that this book will help America’s citizens to get new perspectives about what is taking place in our country. Many readers will wake up and realize that they have been too passive when decisions have been made in education and government. Christians will be challenged and empowered to get involved and take responsibility for their participation in the affairs of this country. Meyer advocates that taking responsibility begins when we vote.