God's preservation lasts until the redemption of the body and then continues for all eternity.
Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise as the earnest of their inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. Les Feldick emphasizes that the whole person—spirit, soul, and body—is preserved for eternity, not just for seventy years. The final step is the redemption and transformation of the body, when believers receive an incorruptible, immortal body like Christ's glorious body.
Ephesians 1:13-14 — This passage ties the sealing of the Holy Spirit directly to the redemption of the purchased possession, showing the duration of God's preservation.
Romans 8:23 — Paul explicitly names the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body, which is what believers are still waiting for.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 — This verse uses the word 'preserved' for the whole spirit, soul, and body, revealing that preservation reaches into eternity.
The apostle Paul tells believers that after they heard the word of truth—the gospel of their salvation—and believed, they were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. That same passage calls the Spirit 'the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession' (Ephesians 1:13-14). In Romans 8, Paul writes that we ourselves have the firstfruits of the Spirit and we groan within ourselves, 'waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body' (Romans 8:23). In 1 Thessalonians, Paul prays that God would sanctify believers wholly and that their whole spirit, soul, and body would be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Scripture also promises that this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality, so that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:53-54). The Bible presents the believer's preservation as moving toward the complete redemption of the person—body, soul, and spirit—so that the believer can live forever in a body fit for eternity.
Les Feldick teaches that God's preservation is not limited to this lifetime. He explains that at the moment of salvation the soul and spirit are totally redeemed, but 'what about this old body? Oh, it's not ready yet.' God has made a down payment on the body by the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is His brand on the believer. That down payment guarantees that one day the body will be raised, changed, and reunited with the soul and spirit, making the believer a complete entity for eternity. When asked whether the whole person is preserved for seventy years, Les says, 'Don't you kid yourself. Preserved for how long? Eternity.' He connects the sealing of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:14 to the 'redemption of the purchased possession,' explaining that while the soul and spirit are already redeemed, the redemption of the body is still waiting. Les points out that at the Rapture the dead in Christ will be raised with new bodies and living believers will be changed, because the corruptible body must put on incorruption. The body believers receive will be like Christ's glorious resurrection body, a body not limited by time and space. This is the completion of God's preservative work.
From the moment of salvation until the final redemption of the body—and then forever. After hearing the gospel and believing, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13). Les says plainly that the whole spirit, soul, and body are preserved for eternity, not for seventy years. The end point of this preservation is the redemption of the body, when believers are raised and changed.
Les compares the Holy Spirit's sealing to a substantial down payment in a real estate transaction. It is God's brand or earnest on the believer, guaranteeing the inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. The body is not yet redeemed, but God has put His down payment on it by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul writes that the dead will be raised first and living believers will be changed, because the corruptible body must put on incorruption and the mortal must put on immortality. Les explains that believers will receive a body like Christ's glorious resurrection body, able to move without the limits of time and space.
Les emphasizes that God has never used a human being as just a soul and spirit; the complete entity is body, soul, and spirit. Until the resurrection, departed believers are not yet in their final body. The redemption of the body is the final step so that believers are complete for eternity.
Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise
Les stresses that after hearing the gospel and believing, believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit—not by works, but through trusting the gospel of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
Redemption of the Body Still Waiting
Les teaches that although soul and spirit are redeemed at salvation, the body is not yet ready; the indwelling Holy Spirit is God's down payment guaranteeing a new body at resurrection.
Preserved for Eternity
Les directly answers the question by insisting believers are not preserved just for 70 years—spirit, soul, and body are preserved for eternity.
A Body Like His Glorious Body
Les points to Christ's resurrection body as the pattern: believers will have bodies that can operate beyond the time and space limits of this physical world.
Waiting for the Adoption
Les explains that Romans 8:23 speaks of what still awaits—the redemption of the body—because God's design is a complete person of body, soul, and spirit.
Transformed into Heavenly Bodily Form
Les uses Christ's 40 days after resurrection to show that believers will function in eternity in a transformed, glorious body.
The Earnest Until Redemption
Les connects the Holy Spirit's sealing to the down payment of our inheritance, showing preservation is guaranteed until the full redemption of the purchased possession—the body.
Corruptible Puts on Incorruption
Les shows that the change at the Rapture is necessary because a mortal, corruptible body cannot enter eternity; it must be changed into an immortal one.
Ephesians 1:13-14: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
This passage shows that the sealing of the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of the believer's inheritance until the full redemption, including the body.
Romans 8:23: And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Paul identifies the goal still ahead for believers: the redemption of the body, which is part of God's preservation.
1 Thessalonians 5:23: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This verse explicitly states that the whole person—spirit, soul, and body—is to be preserved until the Lord's coming, pointing to eternal preservation.
1 Corinthians 15:53-54: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Paul describes the necessary transformation of the body so that believers can live forever in an incorruptible, immortal state.
Philippians 3:20-21: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
This verse promises that the Lord will transform the believer's body to be like His own glorious body, the final step of preservation.
A believer is preserved forever. Les says the whole spirit, soul, and body are preserved for eternity, not just for seventy years. God has sealed the believer with the Holy Spirit as the down payment of the inheritance until the redemption of the body.
It is the future step of salvation in which the body, still subject to sickness and death, is raised or changed at the resurrection. Both Romans 8:23 and Ephesians 1:14 point to this final redemption. At that point the corruptible puts on incorruption.
Yes. After hearing the gospel and believing, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Paul calls that sealing the earnest—a substantial down payment—of the inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
Yes. Les teaches that God's purpose is a complete person of body, soul, and spirit. The new body will be like Christ's glorious resurrection body—supernatural, not limited by time and space.
Watch the Teaching: Eternal Security: Can Anything Separate Us From God? | Romans 8 Bible Study