We know that the spirit of generosity and concern for the needs of one another in the early church was so great that “the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that the things he possessed were his own, but they had all things in common.” (Acts 4:32) The newly converted Christians at Jerusalem even “sold their possessions and goods” (Acts 2:45) to supply the needs of others who had come to Jerusalem for the Hebrew holidays, but were converted to Christ and tarried in Jerusalem to be with the apostles and other believers.

Likewise the mutual love of brethren today motivates us to share with other saints who are in need, but I read in the Scriptures of other things that we share besides just material things. 1 Cor. 10:13 speaks of temptation being common among us. Indeed, it is something that all of as face. Satan goes “about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). The allurement of “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” is everywhere around us. The devil is a liar and deceiver, promising pleasures when his true intent is for our doom. He seems to know the weaknesses of every soul and focuses his efforts on those weakest points in our nature, whether it be temptation for sexual immorality, dishonesty, greed, anger, selfishness, bitterness, discouragement, or whatever. It is no wonder that the Holy Scriptures repeatedly warn us to be strong in the Lord, to keep the faith, resist the devil, and abstain from sin. All of us have temptations.

All of us have our trials. Job observed that “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1). All of us experience disappointments, heartaches, griefs, and pain. Oh, but those of as in Christ Jesus have the assurance of the Lord that He will never leave as or forsake us (Heb. 13:5) and that He will give as strength to cope and will see us through all things if we abide in Him. Like Paul of old, we may be “hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:8-9). The world may mock, ridicule, and even persecute us for our faith in Christ and for our righteous pattern of life, but “if you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” (1 Peter 4:14-16).

Another thing true Christians hold in common is our faith. (Titus 1:4). This is the “one faith” spoken of in Eph. 4:5, the faith through which Christ dwells in our hearts (Eph. 3:17), the faith by which we have access into God’s grace (Rom. 5:2), faith by which we quench the fiery darts of Satan (Eph. 6:16), faith through which we overcome the world and experience victory (1 John 5:4), the faith that comes through hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). Ours is not a faith based on personal imaginations or sensational experiences but on the solid evidence of God’s word, the truth of the gospel, and the revealed will of God. The world is filled with a multitude of beliefs, but our contention is for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3).

A third thing we who are in the Lord's body share in common is salvation. (Jude 3). Those who are called by the gospel (2 Th. 2:14) and sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus (Jude 1) share in a common salvation, a salvation from sin and condemnation. It was Jesus Himself who said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned (or “damned” 1769 KJV). (Mark 16:16). “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:1). “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another [things in common with one another -TDD] and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses as from all sin.” (1John 1:7). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph. 1:7). God “has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated as into the-kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Col. 1:13). 1Peter 1:6-9 links together these three things which Christians hold in common, our trials, our faith, and our salvation.

Trials prove the genuineness of our faith, and the end, the result and reward for our faithfulness is salvation. The importance of our salvation is emphasized in the words of Jesus when He asked, “What is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mt. 16:26). Nothing that this world has to offer is even to be compared with the importance of the salvation which God offers to all who will believe and obey the gospel. This world cannot give as eternal life. This world can never give us a everlasting home free from sin and suffering, but such is promised to those who are faithful in Christ Jesus.

To any reader who has not been baptized into Christ, or any baptized person who is not living a life consistent with the Christian life taught in the Holy Scriptures, we implore you to consider your destiny; consider the awfulness of eternal hell. Repent and come to the way that leads to eternal life.