Humans have a serious problem and most are unaware they are in trouble. People think evil lives in the heart of men like Adolph Eichmann, Hitler's architect of the Holocaust. But the reality is that evil resides in all of our hearts and there is nothing we can do about it. But God has a solution for our deepest need. He offers forgiveness if we will acknowledge our moral failings and our need for His forgiveness. In order to appreciate the Good News, we must hear the bad news first.

God created man with freewill which led to a dilemma for God. He is both loving and just. He loves us but His justice demands he punish us for our sins. His enemies make accusations against his character. So, God kept secret His plan to resolve His dilemma for a time. At the right time, he revealed that Jesus would be the perfect substitute to pay for man's sins. Thus, He demonstrated His great love but also satisfied his justice.

When Paul calls Christians to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, he is pointing out that we already have unity in Christ. It is not something we have to generate, but it does take effort to preserve it. We have been formed into "one people" the moment we are united in Christ, but it takes walking in a manner worthy of our calling to demonstrate this unity. Being humble, gentle, patient, and forebearing with one another is living a life worthy of the calling we have received.

Many modern churches have a centralized leadership model where the pastor or priest is the head of the church and the rest of the congregation looks to the pastor to do the majority of the work. Whereas the Biblical model has a decentralized model where there are leaders but the entire work of ministry is distributed among all the members of the church. The Bible is clear all Christians have been given spiritual gifts to be used to serve the Body of Christ, building it up in love.

Living out your new life in Christ involves not living as the world lives, in the futility of their mind, but knowing that only God gives real meaning in life to anything we do. He gives us significance and value. He ensures that suffering has a purpose. Are you living in such a way that distinguishes you from the world?

God has a specific purpose and plan for your life. He is committed to leading you. But there are prerequisites. You must establish a personal relationship with God. You must have a willingness to follow in advance of knowing His will. Finally, you must be willing to ask God what His will is. God primarily reveals His will through His written Word and generously gives wisdom to those who ask. The only way to feel confident that you are at the center of God's will is to have a heart yielded to Him.

Many churches forbid alcohol consumption but God is not opposed to drinking alcohol, just getting drunk. Instead of being controlled by mind-altering substances, the Bible says to be filled with the Spirit. God wants you to fill the emptiness you feel with the relational and spiritual side of life, not with substances. Only God's presence in your life will fill the void you feel.

Historically, many people have believed the Bible teaches patriarchy and that women must submit to men because they are inferior to men. This could not be further from the truth! The Bible actually extols women. Submission means showing a willingness to be responsive to servant leadership. Men are to love their wives as Jesus loves the Church by laying down their lives for their wives.

God's enemy, Satan, is real and he hates God and anyone whom God loves. Although Satan was defeated at the cross, he is committed to preventing anyone from hearing the Good News. Spiritual warfare is countering each of Satan's lies and accusations with truth.

God's enemy is real and relentless. You are the target. Jesus never reasons or argues with Satan but declares God's truth. You are in a battle. Are you going to be a combatant or collateral damage? You need to arm yourself with truth. If you are a Christian, you do not need to fear death or Satan.

Paul warns his audience that their struggle is not against other humans but evil spiritual forces, namely Satan. We need to be prepared to fight with the Word of God's truth, relying not on our own righteousness but on Christ's righteousness. The full armor of God consists of truth, righteousness (Christ's), gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God and finally, prayer.