Romans 4:18-25

 Scripture Verse

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ²² This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” ²³ The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

 Hope against Hope

Christians all over the world partake in the Holy period of Lent in different ways. Fasting is a common undertaking to mark Lent, though this can take multiple forms: abstaining from consuming meat till Easter, abstaining to eat meat on Fridays, or fasting during the day in the Holy Week leading up to Easter. Fasting is an act that helps us remember that many of us enjoy a lot of worldly comforts, and we should not forget that we are limited, fragile, and dependent. When we are fragile, limited and dependent, we can easily come into despair, and despair always requires hope. In this context Paul tells us to believe and keep faith in hope in our Lord. Paul reminds us that “against all hope, Abraham believed in hope”. God’s promise—that Abraham would become the father of many nations—stood in stark contrast to the visible facts. Abraham’s body was “as good as dead,” and Sarah’s womb was barren. Lent reminds us of this reality, and the Scripture insists that we acknowledge and face this reality as Abraham faced it fully. Faith is trust that goes deeper than visible evidence.

This passage also reminds us that righteousness is not earned through effort or moral perfection but credited through trust in our Lord. Abraham did not manufacture faith; he received a promise and clung to the One who made it. Lent echoes this truth as we fast, pray, and repent—not to prove our worth, but to loosen our grip on self-reliance.

Paul emphasizes that Abraham “did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.” Paradoxically, faith is strengthened not when circumstances improve, but when hope rests more and more on God’s character. Lent trains us in this posture: to wait, to hunger, to sit with unanswered prayers—believing that God is still faithful.

Please note the words “were written not for him alone, but also for us.” Just as Abraham trusted God to bring life from barrenness, the words tell us to trust God who raised Jesus from the dead. Lent leads us towards the cross, where hope seems extinguished, when reality is that the resurrection power is already at work.

Romans 4 invites us to bring our weariness, sin, brokenness, and deferred hopes—before the God who “gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” Lent does not rush us to Easter. Instead, it teaches us to hope against hope, trusting that God is faithful even when fulfillment feels far away.

Prayer:

Faithful God,

In this season of waiting and repentance, teach us to trust You as Abraham did.

When our strength is gone and hope feels thin,

anchor us not in what we see, but in who You are.

Give us faith that glorifies You,

and hope that waits patiently for resurrection.

Amen.