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Study Section 18: The Final Redemption
18.1 Connect
When Christ died on the cross and paid the price for our redemption, then you would think
that redemption was complete: accomplished. But that is not true. There is more to
redemption than Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Christ provided for us forgiveness
of our sins by His death on the cross. He paid the price to redeem us from our sinful nature.
But God has more of redemption waiting for us in the future. Wow! Won’t that be exciting.
So, we need to know how redemption will be finalized by God.
Today we will close our study of the Biblical Theology looking to the future. What is going to happen to
us and how will God complete His plan of redemption? Let’s find out!
18.2 Objectives
1. The student should be able to explain the process by which salvation is procured by faith.
2. The student should be able to discuss the redemption of our bodies in the future.
18.3 The Final Completion of Redemption
When Christ died on the cross, our redemption was paid in full. His blood cleansed every
man’s heart who will by faith, trust in Him as Savior and Lord. It is a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of
9
yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may
boast.
Can anyone receive this gift?
Strong Calvinists often take the “it” part of “it is a gift of God” to mean that God gives faith to those who
are elected to receive it. But the word, “it” or “that” is the Greek word touto which is neuter in gender.
The word faith is the Greek word, pistis, and is feminine in gender. So, the “that is not of yourselves” is
an antecedent to something that also is neuter, which is “by grace you have been saved” or salvation.
In this verse, SALVATION is the gift given by God, not faith.
Even John Calvin said of this text, “He does not mean that faith is the gift of God, but that salvation is
given to us by God, or that we obtain it by the gift of God.” 109
109 John Calvin, Calvin’s commentaries, Vol. 11, p.145.
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