Yes—believers are waiting for the adoption, which Paul defines as the redemption of their bodies.
The soul and spirit are already redeemed at salvation, but the present physical body remains under corruption, pain, and sin. Romans 8:23 describes believers groaning within themselves, waiting for the adoption—the redemption of the body. Les Feldick emphasizes that this bodily redemption completes the believer as a full entity of body, soul, and spirit.
Romans 8:23 — This verse directly answers the question: believers wait for the adoption, which Paul identifies explicitly as the redemption of their bodies.
Romans 8:22 — The whole creation groans in travail under the curse, setting the context for believers who groan and wait for their bodily redemption.
Scripture is explicit that believers have not yet received everything that redemption will bring. In Romans 8:23 Paul writes, "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." The verse does not say the soul or the spirit awaits redemption—it is the body that remains unredeemed. Paul places this personal expectation within a wider groaning. Romans 8:22 says, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now," and Romans 8:21 explains why: "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19), and believers wait alongside it. Ephesians 1:13-14 teaches that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, "which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." The Spirit is the guarantee that the redemption of the body will be completed. First Thessalonians 5:23 points to the same end—that our "whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Les teaches that the moment a believer is saved, the soul and spirit are totally redeemed and made ready for eternity, but the old body is not ready yet. The body is still in the flesh, prone to the same pain, accidents, and sin as the unbeliever. This is why Paul says believers who have the firstfruits of the Spirit groan within themselves: they have salvation and the new birth, but they still don't have it all. The missing piece is the adoption—that is to say, the redemption of the body. God has placed His down payment on that body through the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is the earnest of the inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. One day the believer will have a new body reunited with the soul and spirit, so that he or she is a complete entity for eternity. Les emphasizes that God has never used the human being as just a soul and spirit—it must be the complete entity of body, soul, and spirit—which is why those who have died are not yet walking the streets of gold; they are not in a body. Les connects the believer's bodily redemption to the groaning of all creation. Everything is under the bondage of corruption, sin, and death, and the whole creation is looking constantly for the day when the curse will finally be lifted. The redemption of the body is the great transaction that will usher believers into the glorious rule and reign, and all creation is waiting for that day.
Paul defines the adoption in Romans 8:23 as "the redemption of our body." Les Feldick underscores that believers "haven't got it all yet"—they have salvation and the new birth, but the still-missing piece is the redemption of the body. He calls it "that great transaction" that will usher believers into the glorious rule and reign. He also corrects any misreading that would make it the redemption of the soul, stressing that the text says "body."
At the moment of salvation, the soul and spirit are totally redeemed and made ready for eternity, but the body remains in the flesh. Les teaches that this old body is still prone to the same pain, accidents, and sin as the body of an unbeliever. God has, however, put His down payment on the body by the indwelling Holy Spirit—the earnest of the inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession—guaranteeing that one day the body will be redeemed.
Romans 8:20-22 says the whole creation was made subject to vanity and now groans and travails in pain, waiting to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Les teaches that all of creation is looking constantly for the day when the curse will finally be lifted, and that the coming seven years of tribulation are like travail that will bring the planet to its delivery. The redemption of believers' bodies is the great transaction creation itself is waiting for.
No. Les teaches that God has never used the human being as just a soul and spirit; it must be the complete entity of body, soul, and spirit. That is why believers who have died in glory are not walking the streets of gold or singing hallelujahs yet—they are not in a body. One day the body will be redeemed and reunited with the soul and spirit, so that the believer is a complete entity for the eternal state.
Creation Waits for the Curse to Be Lifted
Les explains that from the day the earth was subjected to the curse, God has promised a day of redemption for it—and the coming tribulation is like travail that brings about the planet's delivery from the bondage of corruption.
Waiting for the Adoption—the Redemption of the Body
Les shows from Romans 8:23 that believers who are saved and have the firstfruits of the Spirit still groan, because they are waiting for one more thing: the adoption, the redemption of the body.
The Great Transaction of Bodily Redemption
Les teaches that the redemption of the body is the great transaction believers are waiting for, and that it will usher them into the glorious rule and reign while all creation waits for that day.
Redemption of the Body, Not the Soul
Les corrects a common misreading of Romans 8:23, emphasizing that Paul does not say believers wait for the redemption of the soul—the text says body.
Body, Soul, and Spirit in the Eternal State
Les connects the adoption—the redemption of the body—to the believer being made complete as body, soul, and spirit in the eternal state.
The Holy Spirit as the Down Payment on the Body
Les teaches that although the soul and spirit are redeemed immediately at salvation, the body is not ready yet—but the indwelling Holy Spirit is God's down payment, guaranteeing a new body reunited with the soul and spirit.
The Curse Lifted and Believers Made Whole
Les teaches that God has never used the human being as only a soul and spirit, so glorified believers are not yet walking streets of gold—they await the redemption of the body that will complete them.
The Earnest of the Inheritance Until the Body Is Redeemed
Using Ephesians 1:13-14, Les shows that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of the inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession—the body, which is still subject to pain, accidents, and sin.
Romans 8:19: For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Creation waits expectantly for the day believers are manifested—an expectation tied to their bodily redemption.
Romans 8:20: For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
The creation was subjected to vanity and corruption, which is why it groans and longs for deliverance.
Romans 8:21: Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Creation's deliverance from corruption is directly linked to the liberty that belongs to the children of God.
Romans 8:22: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
The entire creation groans under the curse—the backdrop for the believer's own groaning for redemption.
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.
The key verse: believers wait specifically for the adoption, which Paul defines as the redemption of the body.
Ephesians 1:13: 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,
Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit at salvation—the seal that guarantees future redemption.
Ephesians 1:14: Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The Spirit is the down payment until the redemption of the purchased possession—the body that remains unredeemed.
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 points to the believers' complete entity of spirit, soul, and body—the completion that bodily redemption brings.
Matthew 24:8: All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Les connects the 'sorrows' or travail of the tribulation to the delivery of the planet from the curse.
The adoption is, as Paul writes in Romans 8:23, 'the redemption of our body.' Les teaches that believers have salvation and the new birth but still don't have it all; the body remains unredeemed and awaits this great transaction.
Because their soul and spirit are redeemed but their body is not. Romans 8:23 says believers who have the firstfruits of the Spirit groan within themselves, waiting for the redemption of the body—and Les notes that the body is still prone to the same pain, accidents, and sin as the unbeliever.
Ephesians 1:14 calls the Spirit 'the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.' Les teaches that the indwelling Holy Spirit is God's down payment on the body, guaranteeing that one day believers will have a new body reunited with soul and spirit.
No. Les teaches that God has never used the human being as just a soul and spirit; believers must be complete entities of body, soul, and spirit. That is why the body must be redeemed and reunited with the soul and spirit for the eternal state.
Watch the Teaching: Bema Seat Explained: Believer Rewards & Glorified Bodies