Romans Eight is all about assurance. Christians are assured of forgiveness of sin and adoption by God in Jesus Christ. We are assured that our lives are being brought to full redemption, body and spirit, even as we walk through this groaning world. We are assured that the same Spirit through whom we are adopted as sons of God is also helping us in our weakness. And now the Apostle assures us that God’s sovereignty extends to our sufferings in such a way as to guarantee an outcome that will redound for the good. Everything the Christian experiences in this life from the brightest joys to the bitterest calamities are under the sway of God’s sovereign governance of all things. Not only that, but God holds the salvation of our souls within the merciful grip of his sovereign hand. From beginning to end, salvation belongs to the Lord. From being known by God before creation, to calling and justification, to being brought all the way home to glory, the salvation of God’s people is firmly in the grip of God’s merciful predestination.