<p>9:17 <i>For a will is of force where there has been death; it does not have power while he that made it lives</i>- The new covenant as given in Genesis 15 also required the shedding of animal blood to ratify it; but it only came into force in the death of the Lord Jesus, thereby enabling all men to become part of Abraham's seed and share in the promise of eternal inheritance made to him (:15). Now the Lord has died, the promises to Abraham of eternal inheritance, the new covenant, is &quot;of force&quot;. Paul uses the same word about the solidity of this hope in Rom. 4:16: &quot;It is of faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure s.w. &quot;of force&quot; to all the seed&quot;. If it it were not of grace through faith, it would have to be on the basis of works. And our human weakness would leave us with no sure hope, knowing we would never be perfectly obedient or do enough in order to make the promise of salvation &quot;of force&quot; or &quot;sure&quot;. The same idea is carried in the word <i>elpis</i>, &quot;hope&quot;; not a hope for the best at judgment day, but a solid, certain knowledge of the future. Paul connects the ideas in 3:6 and 6:19, saying that we are to hold fast the confidence of the hope &quot;firm&quot;, &quot;of force&quot; (s.w.), unto the end. This solidity of hope, this confident sense that our salvation is sure, &quot;of force&quot;, is lacking in many who name the name of Christ today. They still sense that they must attain the new covenant by some form of works. But if we are focused upon the meaning of the Lord's death, then we can feel the &quot;force&quot;, the sureness, of the promise of future salvation and inheritance of the earth. The prophetic word which has been made &quot;more sure&quot; (s.w. &quot;of force&quot;) is surely a reference to this same wonderful truth- that the prophetic word to Abraham of salvation for his seed has been made &quot;more sure&quot;, &quot;of force&quot;, by the Lord's death (2 Pet. 1:19). The idea is not that predictions of future events were proven true; but rather that the word of salvation has been made sure, and we ought to thereby make our calling and election &quot;sure&quot; (s.w.; 2 Pet. 1:10).</p>