October 8

who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. — Eph 1:14 BSB

The Church has been redeemed by price, but not yet fully redeemed by power. Christ has purchased both the souls and bodies of His people with His precious blood, but He has not yet publicly redeemed them. This final redemption is still in the future and will only be completed on the glorious resurrection day, when the bodies of dead believers will be raised, and the bodies of living believers will be transformed in an instant, at the sound of the last trumpet. This is “the redemption of the purchased possession,” and since it is future, we wait for it, as the Apostle says, “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:25).

Our bodies are not yet redeemed from their natural corruption. But on the resurrection day, when the dead are raised incorruptible, the redemption of our bodies will be complete. Then the full inheritance will be ours. The risen and glorified saints will inherit Christ, and Christ will inherit them. His purchased people will be forever delivered from every enemy and every fear, from every sin and sorrow, from all corruption of body and soul, and will be crowned with an eternal weight of glory.

Until this day of redemption, the Holy Spirit seals all of God’s people (Ephesians 4:30), not only by assuring them of their salvation and being the guarantee of their inheritance but also by securing their certain possession of it.