With hearts right with God, the Israelites made a covenant with God to do three things: Not to intermarry with non-Jews, to observe the Sabbath and holy days, and to follow the ordinances of first fruits and sacrifices. The people celebrated their new, safe city and relationship with God. Nehemiah then returned to Persia. However, when he returned later, he found the people had broken all three of their promises to God.
Get ready to fight the good fight against legalism in Galatians. When this letter was written, it defended the gospel of Christ from people who wanted to reduce it to rules. Not surprising, Galatians has provided the backbone for several great spiritual revivals around the world. Freedom, we learn, is a serious fight. Allow grace to revolutionize your own life through these seven lessons from Dr. J. Vernon McGee.