The next day, my mom and stepdad confronted me. And I lied hard. I was scared, ashamed, and trying to hide it. But I’ll never forget what my mom said to me: “That doesn’t reflect well on the ‘Gray’ name.” That hit me. My dad had passed, and I was the last one carrying his name. I didn’t earn that name, but it was mine. And it came with weight, with legacy, and with a calling to live differently. That’s precisely what we see in Genesis 17.
God steps into Abraham’s story, not to scold him, not to shame him, but to rename him. To give him a new identity, a new future, and a new calling. Not because Abraham had done everything right (in fact, chapter 16 showed he hadn’t), but because God Almighty was making a covenant that would change Abraham’s life, and ours.
Genesis 17 is a pivotal chapter revealing a new name and covenant that God gives to Abraham. It marks a turning point, not just in Abraham’s story, but in the story of salvation. The “Genesis 17 new name and covenant” moment isn’t about human achievement; it’s about divine grace and promise. In this chapter, we see God introduce Himself as El Shaddai, God Almighty, and then call Abraham to a new way of life, sealed with a new identity. It’s not just a history lesson. Through Jesus Christ, the covenant promise of Genesis 17 still offers us a new name, a new heart, and a renewed purpose today.
And the same God who gave Abraham a new name and a new way of life through the covenant still does the same today.
1. Let the Almighty Power of Jesus Motivate you to Walk in His Presence and Live Blameless (Gen 17:1-6)
Impatience had already led Abraham down a painful path. At 99 years old, he carried the weight of past failures, especially his attempt to force God’s promise through Hagar and Ishmael. But God, always faithful, appeared again—not in rebuke, but in power.
He introduced himself with a new name: El Shaddai, “God Almighty.” This is the first time in Scripture that this title appears. God wanted Abraham to know that what lay ahead would not happen through human strength, but by divine power. The child of promise, the future of nations, would only come through the Almighty.
God commanded Abraham, “Walk before Me and be blameless.” This wasn’t a call to perfection but to integrity, living in the presence of God, fueled by trust in His power. Abraham’s response was to fall on his face in humility. In the face of divine might, he recognized his limits and opened his heart to listen.
The Christian life starts here also. We don’t walk with God because we’re strong, but because He is. The gospel reminds us that Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise, died and rose again by the power of El Shaddai. That same power now fuels our walk.
This section teaches a pattern: encounter God’s power, abide in His presence, and live a transformed life. Jesus didn’t save us to forgive us, but to call us into a walk of blamelessness, set apart, sustained by His might.
Like Abraham, believers today can stand not on their performance, but on the promises of the Almighty. In Christ, God still says: “Walk before Me, and be blameless.”
2. Through Faith in Jesus, Receive your New Identity (Gen 17:7-9)
After reaffirming His power, God reaffirmed His promise. Abraham didn’t just receive a reminder; he was given a new name. God changed him from Abram (“Exalted Father”) to Abraham (“Father of Many Nations”). This wasn’t just symbolic. It was a rebirth. A new identity grounded in God’s covenant.
God had already chosen Abraham, had already promised descendants, land, and His presence. Now he sealed that promise with identity. Not only Abraham, but Sarai too received a new name: Sarah, meaning “Princess.” And to this elderly couple, long past childbearing years, God gave a shocking promise: “You will have a son.”
Abraham laughed, not out of doubt, but from wonder. Could God truly bring life from bodies as good as dead? God’s answer was unshaken: “Yes. His name will be Isaac,” which means “he laughs.” God turned doubt into delight and stamped His covenant with joy.
But this identity came through faith. Abraham had to trust in what he could not see, in promises he could not produce. And that’s exactly how the gospel works today.
When someone believes in Jesus Christ, God doesn’t just wipe their slate clean; He gives them a new name, a new identity. Paul said, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The moment someone turns to Christ, God calls them “righteous,” “beloved,” and “child.”
Your past doesn’t define you. Faith in Christ does just as Abraham’s name changed to reflect God’s covenant, so the believer’s heart changes to reflect Christ within. Like Abraham, the invitation is to receive, not earn, a new identity. And once received, walk into it with confidence. The covenant is not based on your performance, but on His promise.
3. Be Baptized as an Outward Sign of Your Spiritual Conversion (Gen. 17:10-24)
Covenants in Scripture often came with a sign. For Abraham, that sign was circumcision, a visible, physical reminder that he and his household belonged to God. It wasn’t optional. It wasn’t just symbolic. It was a call to obedience, even when it was uncomfortable.
Genesis 17 shows Abraham responding immediately. That very same day, Abraham, Ishmael, and every male in his household were circumcised. It was costly. Painful. Personal. But it was also a bold statement: “We belong to the LORD.”
Today, the covenant sign has changed. God no longer marks His people through circumcision, but through the circumcision of the heart, a spiritual transformation brought by the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:28-29). And the outward sign of that inward reality is baptism.
Baptism is the New Testament picture of belonging to Jesus. It’s the way we publicly declare that we’ve been buried with Christ and raised to new life. Just as Abraham obeyed through circumcision, believers today obey by entering the waters of baptism, not as a means of salvation, but as a sign of it. Jesus commanded it. The early church practiced it. And even now, it serves as a potent reminder: We are no longer our own; we’ve been bought with a price.
Like Abraham, obedience to God often starts with a step. Maybe today, your step is baptism. You’ve believed, but you’ve never made it public. Or perhaps you’ve been walking in quiet disobedience, avoiding the very sign God gave to mark your faith. Let Abraham’s story remind you that God keeps His covenant, and He invites His people to respond in obedience. Not to earn His love, but because they already have it. So take the step. Obey. Be baptized, not to get clean, but to declare that Christ already made you clean.
Conclusion
Genesis 17 is not just a chapter about ancient covenants and strange rituals; it’s a picture of transformation. God gives a new name, a new identity, and a new way of walking. Not because Abraham was perfect, but because God is El Shaddai, God Almighty. Through Jesus, that same God gives you a new name. He calls you his son. He calls you his daughter. He calls you forgiven. He calls you His.
So: Trust Him for your salvation. Walk with Him in holiness. Declare Him through baptism. Because in Christ, the old is gone. The new has come. He is still the God who sees. Still the God who speaks. Still the God who saves.
