Yes—believers need a redeemed body because God's redemption includes the whole person: body, soul, and spirit.
At salvation the soul and spirit are redeemed, but the physical body is still unredeemed; the Holy Spirit is God's down payment that the redemption of the body will be completed. At death the body is separated from the soul and spirit, and the resurrection of the body is what reunites them to make believers a complete entity for eternity. As Paul says, we wait for the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23).
Romans 8:23 — This verse explicitly says believers are waiting for the redemption of the body, showing that the body is part of our adoption and complete salvation.
Ephesians 1:14 — The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, which includes the body.
Philippians 3:21 — This verse promises that the Lord will change our lowly body and make it like His glorious body.
2 Corinthians 1:22 — God has sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit, guaranteeing the full inheritance that includes a redeemed body.
Scripture clearly indicates that redemption is not complete when a person is saved, because the body is still awaiting redemption. In Romans 8:23, Paul writes that believers groan within themselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. The body is part of the purchased possession for which the Holy Spirit has been given as the earnest. Ephesians 1:14 says the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Philippians 3:20-21 gives the reason the body must be redeemed: 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. God has sealed believers with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that He will finish the work, as 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Les explains that salvation is a 'yes and no' situation. In the soul and spirit, believers are completely redeemed, justified, and sanctified the moment they believe. But the physical body is not redeemed; it remains prone to sin, death, and disease and is not ready for eternity. The body is the third part of the human being that still needs to be dealt with. God has given every believer the indwelling Holy Spirit as the earnest, or down payment, of the purchased possession. The Holy Spirit is His brand and His guarantee that the redemption of the body will take place. This is why Paul says believers are waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. The day is coming when believers will have a new, resurrected body; at that point the body is reunited with the soul and spirit, and the believer is a complete entity. Les also teaches that God has never used a human being as just a soul and spirit. Even in eternity we will have bodies. Those who have died are not yet walking the streets of gold or singing hallelujahs because they are separated from their bodies and not yet complete. The resurrection is necessary for the complete redemption God has planned—body, soul, and spirit—so that believers can spend eternity as whole people.
Les teaches that physical death is the separation of the body from the soul and spirit. The soul and spirit go to be with the Lord, but the body is not yet redeemed. Because God has never used a human being as just a soul and spirit, a departed believer is not yet complete. Les says such loved ones are not walking the streets of gold or singing hallelujahs yet because they are not in a body. This separation is why the body must be raised and redeemed.
Les calls the Holy Spirit God's down payment or earnest of the purchased possession. The purchased possession includes the soul and spirit, which are already redeemed, but also the body, which is still waiting. The Spirit is God's brand on the believer and His guarantee that the full redemption—including a new body—will be completed. Because He is a sufficient down payment, the transaction is sure to be finished.
Scripture says the Lord Jesus Christ will change our vile body—the body that is prone to sin, death, and disease—so that it is fashioned like His glorious body (Philippians 3:21). Les connects this to the resurrection and the redemption of the body. This new body is the one that will be reunited with the soul and spirit, making the believer a complete entity for all eternity.
Les says the bodies of departed Old Testament saints will also be reunited with their soul and spirit, which have been in the presence of the Lord. They will be complete and ready to come back with Him at the end of the seven years, but they will wait until the kingdom is set up because Israel does not have the elevated role of the Body of Christ. The redemption of the body applies to all believers, though the timing differs.
Christ Changes Our Vile Body
Les explains that our body is prone to sin, death, and disease and that the Lord will change it to be like His glorious body.
The Body Is Reunited with Soul and Spirit
Les teaches that the soul and spirit are redeemed at salvation, but the body is not yet ready; the Holy Spirit is God's down payment, and one day the new body will be reunited with the soul and spirit for eternity.
Salvation Is Yes and No
Les describes the 'yes and no' of salvation: soul and spirit are complete, but the body is the third part that still must be redeemed.
God Deals with the Whole Man
Les stresses that God is concerned with the whole man—body, soul, and spirit—and that in the eternal state we will all have new bodies.
Waiting for the Redemption of the Body
Les shows from Ephesians 1:14 that the sealing of the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession—that is, the body.
Resurrection Completes Redemption
Les points out that Paul teaches believers to look forward to the resurrection of the body because redemption is not complete until the body is raised and reunited with the soul and spirit.
A Complete Entity Required
Les says God has never used a human being as just a soul and spirit; departed believers are not yet in bodies, so the redemption of the body is necessary for completeness.
The Spirit as Down Payment
Les teaches that the indwelling Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, holding it until the redemption of the purchased possession; soul and spirit are redeemed in full, but the body must still be redeemed.
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 directly connects our future adoption with the redemption of the body.
Ephesians 1:14: Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit is the down payment until the full possession, including the body, is redeemed.
Philippians 3:21: 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.
Christ's power that subdues all things is the same power that transforms our body.
2 Corinthians 1:22: Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
God's sealing with the Spirit is the guarantee that He will finish what He has begun in redemption.
In the soul and spirit, yes. Les teaches that the soul and spirit are completely redeemed and ready for eternity. But the physical body is not redeemed; it is still prone to sin, death, and disease. The final part of salvation is the redemption of the body at the resurrection (Romans 8:23).
No. At death the soul and spirit are separated from the body and go to be with the Lord, but they are not in a body. Les says they are not walking the streets of gold or singing hallelujahs yet because they are not complete. They will receive their new body when it is resurrected and reunited with their soul and spirit.
The earnest is a down payment or guarantee. The Holy Spirit is God's earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. He guarantees that God will complete the transaction, including giving us a redeemed body (Ephesians 1:14).
At the resurrection. Les says the day is coming when believers will have a new body, and this is what Paul is waiting for in Romans 8:23. At that point the body is reunited with the soul and spirit and the believer is a complete entity for eternity.
Watch the Teaching: What Will Our Resurrected Body Be Like? 1 Corinthians 15 Explained