In his short epistle, Jude wrote, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

I cannot think of a more pleasant subject to write about than salvation.  Sadly though, there is a lot of confusion about the subject.  If you asked three different religious people how one is saved, you would likely get three different answers, none of which are in harmony with what the Bible says.  That means many people think they are saved but are not.  It reminds us of the passage found in Proverbs 14:12.  The record says, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”  Obviously, we should make sure that we have truly been saved.  The only way to do that is to compare what we did to be saved with what the Bible says.

When speaking about salvation, Jude referred to a “common salvation.”  Everybody who is saved has experienced a common salvation.   Strong says that the Greek word for common means, “shared by all.” What is it about salvation that is common or shared by all?

Everyone who is saved, has been saved from the same thing

Sin is the thing from which people need saving.  It is sin that sends people to hell.  It is sin that separates one from God (Isa. 59:1-2).  Sin is the most horrific thing that exists.  There is nothing good about it.  There is not one redeeming quality about it.  I am not just talking about the grotesque sins of the world; I am talking about all sin, no matter what its form or fashion may be.

If ever the wickedness of sin had to be proven, the cross of Christ did it.  Just think of what extent God went to take care of the problem of sin.  He watched as His only begotten Son died for the sins of the world (1 Peter 2:24).  Sin is so terrible that Jesus was willing to give up the riches of heaven and become poor so that the price for sin could be paid (2 Corinthians 8:9).  Just imagine Jesus hanging on a tree on Golgotha’s hill, dying all alone in one of the worse ways imaginable, and then remember that it was all because of sin.  Sin, with all of its tragic and lamentable facets, will cause many people to spend eternity in a devil’s hell.  Thank God for the common salvation we have through Christ.

• Everyone who is saved has been saved the same way

There are not a plurality of ways to be saved.  The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), and everyone obeys the gospel the same way.  When one hears the word (John 6:45), believes in Christ (Mark 16:15-16), repents of his sins (Acts 3:19), confesses Christ with the mouth (Romans 10:9-10), and is baptized (Acts 2:38), that person is saved from his past sins.  Every saved person who has reached the age of accountability has shared those things in common.

There is no such thing as a saved person who has not taken the steps l just listed.  The common salvation that Jude spoke of is obtained the same way by everyone.  Since the day of Pentecost, until this very moment, all people have been, and will continue to be, saved because they have heard, believed, repented, confessed, and been baptized.  Have you experienced the common salvation?

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.