How does Romans 4:17 illustrate God's power to "give life to the dead"? Text in View “As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.” (Romans 4:17) God’s Power Defined • “Gives life to the dead” is not figurative; it describes an ability God exercises in real time and space. • “Calls into being what does not yet exist” pairs resurrection power with creative power—Genesis 1 and new-creation life in the same breath. Abraham’s Situation • Abraham was “about a hundred years old” and “his body was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old” (Romans 4:19). • Sarah’s womb is likewise called “dead” (Romans 4:19). • God’s promise of Isaac required literal life from literal deadness, showcasing resurrection-level power long before Jesus rose. Echoes of Creation • Genesis 1:3—God speaks and matter obeys. • Romans 4:17—God speaks and life appears in a barren womb. Same voice, same authority, same certainty. Fulfilled in Christ • John 11:43-44—Lazarus walks out of a tomb at that same voice. • Luke 8:54-55—Jairus’s daughter returns to life. • Romans 8:11—“He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies.” Every resurrection account is a living footnote to Romans 4:17. Applied to Salvation • Ephesians 2:1-5—“You were dead in your trespasses… but God… made us alive with Christ.” • 2 Corinthians 5:17—“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Spiritual death is reversed when the same God calls faith into existence and breathes life where none existed. Assurance for Today • The God who enlivened Abraham’s body and Sarah’s womb will raise every believer (1 Corinthians 15:52). • Because He “calls into being what does not yet exist,” future resurrection is as certain as past promise-keeping. Takeaway Romans 4:17 shines a spotlight on a God whose spoken word reaches into tombs, barren places, and sinful hearts, bringing literal life where only death once ruled. |
    |