The Apostle Paul has been leading us to consider the high privileges of sovereign mercy granted to God’s beloved people. Step by step he has been showing us the components of covenant grace. Link by link he has revealed the unbreakable chain of divine purpose. God’s great salvation originates in everlasting love and culminates in the church’s eternal glory. Every stage is carefully planned and executed to glorify God, honour the Son and bless the chosen vessels of mercy. 

The Apostle asks his readers, ‘What shall we then say to these things?’ It is a question as to what ‘things’ Paul is referring to. If it is ‘the sufferings of this present time’ in v. 18 then he has shown that for believers our sufferings, while real, are not to be compared to the blessing laid up in store ‘for them that love God’. All things are presently working for our good, even our sufferings, and every element in God’s sovereign plan of grace leads inevitably to our glory. Troubles are real We do not minimise the difficulties our brothers and sisters are called to face in this life. Pain, loss and hardship afflict the Lord’s people along with others. We are prone to…