Length: 8 minutes

We’ve been learning about what it means to have an everlasting, unchanging nature inside of us, that can sustain our bodies in this youth forever! We’ve been learning about how we’ve been redeemed from corruption, because we have been cleansed of sin! Now, let’s see this being used by someone in the Bible.

Of course, Jesus is our example of what we have been given. If Jesus has it, we have it. We are joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:17). If Jesus stays the same and never grows old, then that’s the only example we need, in order to believe that it’s ours as well. Jesus having received these things is enough evidence for us to apply it to ourselves, but it’s a beautiful thing to see our brothers and sisters in the Bible lay hold on these things as well. 

Abraham is someone that believed these things and received the Lord’s youth to his body. Abraham was almost 100 years old and could no longer produce children. The world would say this is normal for someone so advanced in years, but not for us! God began teaching Abraham that death came through Adam and this death included aging. Death also included all bodily imperfection (which Sarah’s womb was also experiencing at the time). God confessed to Abraham that Jesus, his Descendent, would die for him (Genesis 15:4, 9 and Galatians 3:16), and that through this Descendent, Abraham was given life from the dead. 

Abraham knew that Jesus provided life for the aging that he was experiencing and life for the womb of Sarah, which was barren, even from her younger days. Abraham was taught this, and he related to the life of Jesus, rather than the death of Adam. He knew who he was. 

One might not think that everything I just stated is in the Bible, but Romans 4 makes it very clear that Abraham recognized that his aging and Sarah’s barren womb was classified under death from Adam. And more importantly, it states that Abraham believed in the God who gives life to that aging and imperfection, which he calls “giving life to the dead.” 

Romans 4:19 (NKJV) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

Verse 17)  …in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead…

Abraham classified the aging of his body and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb, as deadness. So, when it says that he believed in God who gives life to the dead, he is referring to believing in God, who gives life to aging and barrenness. If you don’t classify aging and barrenness as deadness, then this chapter doesn’t make any sense to you. When it says that Abraham believed the God who gives life to the dead, you don’t see the relevance. You might think he’s just referring to giving life to some spiritual death. But when you know, from verse 19, that Abraham’s aging and Sarah’s barrenness was just leftover death from Adam, then you can see the relevance in Abraham believing the God, who gives life to the dead. It’s actually saying that Abraham believed that God had given life for aging and barrenness. 

Abraham and Sarah knew the gospel. Abraham understood that Jesus would provide everlasting youth for him at the cross. Abraham related to that!  Sarah knew that Jesus would provide youth and healing for her womb. She related to that! They were looking forward, while we are looking back, but it was a belief in the same cross that provides this life, accessible to all who believe.

This understanding of theirs, that Jesus had given life for deadness, even affected Abraham’s perception of his son Isaac, when he was asked to offer him up. Because Abraham had been taught so well, regarding God’s will for people to live, and Jesus’ provision of the same, even when Abraham was asked to offer Isaac up, he knew that Isaac would live, even if he had to be raised from the dead (Hebrews 11:19)! These people knew what Adam’s death was, and they knew exactly what Jesus was coming to do, in order to fix it all! 

Abraham understood that Jesus was his resurrection and life, and not only this, but Abraham also believed that God could perform this life in his body now (and not in some sweet by-and-by in the future). He wasn’t waiting for heaven or for Jesus’ second coming to experience this. He knew that Jesus would offer Himself once for all time, and that included the time that Abraham was living in. Therefore, Abraham knew that he could walk in these things now. So Romans says this:

Romans 4:21 (NKJV) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Abraham received life for the deadness in his body. Abraham was renewed in youth and received the ability to produce children again. Sarah, likewise, was healed of her barrenness. 

You see, Abraham wasn’t just believing that he would have a son and therefore he had a son. This was an actual change in the condition of his body, and in Sarah’s. Abraham went on to have more children, in his advanced years, because this was not merely the receiving of a miraculous son. This was a renewal of youth for his body. Or, as Romans 4 says, this was a receiving of life to his dead body. His body received ability to have children again, and… well… he got busy with this manifestation. Here are the children he had after Isaac, when he supposedly couldn’t have children anymore.

Genesis 25:1-2 (NKJV) Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 

With all of this said, here’s the last point regarding this very normal and natural event that Abraham experienced. When Romans 4 refers to this life that Abraham and Sarah received, to walk even stronger than they were in their younger days (seeing as Sarah was barren even from her early life), Romans 4 also states that this is not unique to Abraham. In verse 13, it states that the promise that Abraham believed, which renewed his youth, was through faith in Jesus, and not by Abrahams works. Therefore, this promise is sure to all who believe in Jesus like Abraham.

[Words in brackets are mine]

Romans 4:16 (NKJV) Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed [the children of Abraham, as we are], not only to those who are of the law [not only Jews], but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…

This promise that Abraham believed that renewed his youth and gave life to his aged body is sure to all of us as well. As sure as Jesus provided these things, is a sure as we can receive them by faith! Abraham didn’t receive these things apart from Jesus. No one can receive any grace from God unless Jesus provided it (Romans 5:2). This wasn’t some one-off miracle. Abraham received this by faith in what Jesus provided, and because of this, it is sure to all of us as well, who believe like he did.

It is fascinating and exciting to explore all the wonderful things that Jesus has provided! So, like Abraham, let’s explore these things, let’s press in deeper to understand it, and as you relate to it, you will see this glory manifested in your body as well! It is sure to you!

We are the living, not the dead. We are the young, not the old. We are the strong, not the weak. We are the redeemed from the Earth, and not of the Earth itself. Praise God for His wonderful gift, which has made us young like Jesus!

Psalms 92:13-15 (NKJV) Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

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