Creatio ex nihilo

Abraham — an elderly man with a barren wife — has no human potential. Paul emphasizes that Abraham was chosen before he was circumcised (Rom. 4:10-11), which is Paul’s way of saying that Abraham brought nothing to the bargain; his election by God was ex nihilo (out of nothing). This startling announcement lies at the heart of the biblical picture of God. This is the foundation of all that Paul says about justification; it buttresses what Paul means when he says “there is no distinction” (Rom. 3:22-23).—Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion, 576 (emphasis original)