Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Angela Loria on Unsplash

Thoughts

You've heard of the Baseball Hall of Fame? Chapter 11 is often called the Hall of Faith, Why do you suppose the author of this book found it necessary to write this chapter? Of course, we know that the author wrote it because he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do so, but beyond that I think the reason God gave this message for the Hebrews because they were used to relying on the ongoing sacrifices to make them right with God. They were relying on their efforts to conform to the Mosaic Law. In the previous chapters, the Jews were told that Jesus offered Himself as the One sacrifice for all time, and that it was faith in Him that cleanses a person from sin. This notion of faith was a bit of a new concept for many of them. Thus they, and we, are given this chapter.

I like the way this translation of the Bible explains what faith is. It “is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see.”

Now, the word “hope” as it is used here is not the kind of hope a child has when he says, “I hope I get a new bicycle for Christmas.” That kind of hope is a sort of childlike wish. The hope spoken about here in Hebrews is the sort of hope that carries with it an assured anticipation of what will be in the future. I don’t wish that Jesus will someday return. I know He will, and it is that hope that allows me to have an unshakeable peace when I think about the future. I have no doubt that it will happen. 

Why don’t I doubt? Because I have the faith spoken about in this chapter. 

Some people have little faith, some have great faith. Those who have little faith, if they ask for more, will receive it. I know this because at one time I had little faith. But the faith I had told me that the One in whom my faith rested was real. So God, in His matchless grace, brought events into my life that made me see that whatever faith I had put in Him was well-placed. 

Often times my faith was tested. And when you think about it, when our faith is tested it is often God who is being tested. God says, “Do you have faith that I will do this?” And I say,”I believe, but help my unbelief.” And He proves Himself worthy of my faith in that instance, thus growing my faith. 

Like God delivering the people of Israel from Pharaoh’s army. God says to Moses, “Do you have faith that I will provide a way of escape?” Moses says, “I have faith, Lord, but how are you going to do it?” And then God does the unthinkable by parting the Red Sea. Moses’ faith was tested, but it was God who did the miracle. 

It’s important to understand that our faith is not something that we whip up ourselves. It is God who gives us the faith in the first place,