"It is because of him [the Father] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV

Redemption is progressive. Yes, we who have been born again are redeemed right now, but there is so much more redemption that Christ has already paid for. The Bible speaks of the redemption of our bodies and says that the whole creation is waiting for this event to take place. Our spirits now have a great communion with the Holy Spirit. However, the current battle is for the mind/heart/soul. This battle is being fought as each of us individually overcomes our flesh. At the same time, we can only go so far on our own. If we obey the Spirit of God, the Spirit will urge us toward the genuine scriptural pattern of the Church. We will find ourselves being led into these orders and patterns and away from the precepts of men. If we don't contend with God in these things, He will redeem us from the forms, rituals, entertainments and disorders of the Babylonian churches. The genuine Church is the method by which God brings us to full redemption.

God has restored the pattern of the Church. The Church must be built according to the pattern. When it is fully built according to the pattern, then the Almighty, Eternal, Creator God's glory will suddenly fill the temple. (Mal 3:1, 2Chron 7:1) This is the manifestation of the sons of God.

The manifestation of the sons of God is seen in part in the gifts of the Spirit, but there is a coming full manifestation of the sons of God and the redemption of our bodies that is beyond our ability to comprehend in our current state. We must continue to press toward the mark of our very high calling in Christ Jesus.

The full reality is the full unity and completeness (perfection) of the Head and the Body. The Church must be without any spot or wrinkle.

Our calling is very high, higher and more wonderful than we are capable of imagining. We use the term, the manifestation of the sons of God, the redemption of our Bodies, or the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This is the inheritance of those who grow up into Christ. This describes it: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect [mature or complete] man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:" (see Ephesians 4:11-13)

When this work is complete and we see this Scripture fulfilled, every member of the Body will be filled with the fullness of God and His Christ.

The unity will be so complete that to be in the presence of one member will be to be in the presence of the entire Body of Christ, Christ the Head, and the Father. The Body will be fully assembled together. For those who have not entered into total holiness, to be in this presence will be a terrible experience. (Psalm 1:5, Joel 2:2, Amos 5:18, Matt 25:1-30)

The Body of Christ will finally come to be a totally mature and complete man. Note that it does not say that we are to become totally mature and complete men and women, but we are to become ONE totally complete man. That is unity so complete that this man, the Church, comes to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Christ the Head will be fully manifested in every member of His Body.

Righteousness will have led to faithfulness, which is stability. It is holiness or sanctification. Holiness will have brought us to complete redemption. Every member of Christ's Body will be fully in submission to Jesus Christ the Head, fully in the place in that Body to which they have been called and in perfect order fully ministering by the power of the Holy Spirit in the exact capacity for which God set them into the Body of Christ. This is the state of being fully in Christ.

Topic: Freedom

Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.   We are all in bondage to some extent even now, but it is the Anointing (Holy Spirit) Who is breaking the yoke.  One day, we will no longer be in bondage to Satan...

Acts 2:38, Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins , and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  KJV Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, \"Have a new mind, and be baptized every one of you into the Name of Jesus Christ for the release from bondage to, and pardon from...

Definition: Release from bondage and pardon Forgiveness in the sense of starting over and all remembrance being erased--and this is linked to a release from bondage to sin and release from imprisonment in the fleshly prison that constantly holds us in the sin realm. 859 αφεσις aphesis af'-es-is from 863; TDNT-1:50 9,88; n f 1) release from bondage or imprisonment 2) forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them...

Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin: but yield yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,...

In Romans, we see an ongoing process beginning with being born again and continuing with a moment-by-moment relationship of God leading and faith coming (10:17), grace flowing (5:2), and God working (5:16-21 & 6:3).  That is the sequence of the relationship with Christ.  Our part is to yield to Him, not in theory but in reality.   FREE on-line BOOK (a classic): The Real Faith, by Charles S. Price FREE on-line...