The Pledge

The “pledge” is introduced in the story of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38:12-20). After Judah negotiated with Tamar, she asked for a pledge. The pledge was a down payment or deposit which assured her that the full price would be paid later:

15 "When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.
16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, "Here now, let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"
17 He said, therefore, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge <06162> until you send it?"
18 He said, "What pledge <06162> shall I give you?" And she said, "Your seal <02368> and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him."

When it was discovered that Tamar had become pregnant, Judah demanded that she be burned. Tamar produced the pledge and was set free. One might say that she was justified in judgment by her possession of the pledge. Judah stated, “She is more righteous than I” The term righteous is Strong’s # 06663. The word represented by that number is often translated as “justify” in the OT

The term pledge is also used in the following NT passages:

2Co 1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge <728>.

2Co 5:5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge <728>.

Eph 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is given as a pledge <728> of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Sealed by the Spirit

2 Co 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed <4972> us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Eph 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed <4972> in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed <4972> for the day of redemption.

Revelation 7:1-9 describes the sealing of 144,000 members of the tribes of Israel:

Re 7:3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed <4972> the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

Revelation 14 says that this group has the father’s name in their foreheads:

1 ¶ Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.

Those who serve God in the New Jerusalem are portrayed as having God’s name in their forehead:

3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;
4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

On the one hand, Scripture is clear that the Holy Spirit seals believers. On the other hand, it also clearly describes the seal as the Father’s name.

Redemption

Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption <629> through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Col 1:14 in whom we have redemption <629>, the forgiveness of sins.

As evinced by the texts above, the forgiveness of sins is one aspect of redemption. Another is the “redemption of our body” at a future time:

Ro 8:23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption <629> of our body.

Eph 1:14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption <629> of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Eph 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption <629>.

This dimension of redemption clearly takes place at the second coming of Christ:

Lk 21:27 Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.
28 But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption <629> is drawing near.

Hebrews 11:35 offers a different understanding of redemption. The word "release," translated as "deliverance" in the KJV, is the same Greek word usually translated as “redemption”:

Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release <629>, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

The Obedience of Faith

The obedience of faith is mentioned in these passages:

Ro 1:5 "through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience <5218> of faith <4102> among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,"

Ro 16:26 "but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience <5218> of faith <4102>;"

Ac 6:7 "The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming <5219> obedient <5219> to the faith <4102>."

Other passages make clear just what it is to obey the faith.

16 "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?"

As the above parallelism shows, to “obey the gospel” is to “believe.”

Hebrews 4: 1-6 juxtaposes faith and obedience:

2 "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world."

Verse 6 summarizes by saying because of disobedience, the people failed to enter the rest. Verses two and three indicate that entering the rest was based upon belief or unbelief:

6 "Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,"

Peter also considered obedience and belief to be one and the same. Note that while verse six says those who believe will not be disappointed, verses seven and eight say that those who disbelieve are disobedient:

6 "For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,"
8 and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed."

John recognized the relationship between faith and obedience in the following text:

Joh 3:36 "He who believes <4100> in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey <544> the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."