The Day of New Beginnings

Our Common Salvation

 

Jude:
3* ¶ Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
 
Undoubtedly, there are many definitions of oneness. But here’s one from Jude that speaks to what the Lord is trying to accomplish in the Body of Christ right now. What does he mean, “Our common salvation?” It means partaking together in a revelation of the Lord. Oneness is never defined by our efforts to “get along” or be in agreement with one another. Oneness with one another comes out of our oneness with the Lord. Specifically, it’s sharing in a common revelation of the Lord. It’s partaking of a living Word together that makes us one. This is why Jude said he felt the necessity to write appealing for everyone to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. As we give ourselves diligently to the Word God is speaking, it produces a common experience in us. 
 
Why is it that there is no oneness in the religious/denominational world? It’s because they are not contending earnestly for the faith. A common salvation is not being experienced. Religion takes much for granted. For example, most Christians would tell you that because a person has accepted Jesus as his/her Savior, he/she is part of the family of God. But Jesus, when told His mother and brothers were seeking to speak with Him, had a different perspective.
 
Mat. 12:
46* ¶ While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
 47 Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You."
 48* But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"
 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers!
 50* "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."
 
Jesus defines His family as disciples doing the will of the Father. Not all Christians are doing the will of the Father. Contending for the faith is the launching pad. It’s what thrusts us together into a common revelation of the Lord. If we are giving diligence to the living Word God is speaking today, then we are finding the cross operating in our lives, we are finding the devastation of the flesh nature occurring in us. Out of that comes a deeper revelation of the Lord, and thus, a greater oneness.
 
Rev. 1:
9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
 
John identifies himself here as “your brother and fellow partaker.” He was their brother because they were partakers together of the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus. If we’re partaking together of a common revelation (salvation), then we also are experiencing the tribulation and perseverance in Jesus. The tribulation we experience is the tribulation that goes on inside of us as God devastates the flesh nature (self life) through the cross experience. The cross we experience produces the common salvation where by we become one.