The passage from which the above words are taken print what has been called "the golden chain of salvation." Paul speaks of predestination, calling, justification, and glorification.

We understand the terms; "predestination" refers to the fact that a person is elected by God in eternity to salvation in Christ, "call­ing" describes God's act of causing those chosen in Christ to hear the gospel, "justifica­tion" denotes the result of calling (for the elect respond to that calling with faith and so are declared righteous before God), and "glorification" — that climax of the list — refers to the crown which God's own shall receive at the end of this present life. We also under­stand the connection between the terms; the "predestined" are "called", the "called" are "justified", the "justified" are "glorified".

Actually, the apostle's golden chain of salva­tion is most intriguing. It's intriguing be­cause at face value the chain appears to be incorrect. What's incorrect about it? This: the justified are "glorified". The inaccuracy is not that glorification ought not to follow justifica­tion. The perceived inaccuracy is rooted rather in the fact that the term "glorified" is in the past tense. That past tense raises a question: were the Romans to whom Paul had addressed this letter already glorified? Was Paul himself for that matter already glorified? What then of ourselves? By the grace of God we know ourselves to be predes­tined, called, justified. But we know also that we are not yet glorified. Why then that past tense?

Here is illustrated that one does well to read the Bible carefully, paying attention even to such details as tense. For this past tense con­tains gospel. How so?

The apostle knew very well that neither the Romans nor he himself had already been glorified, knew rather that both he and the Romans would one day be glorified (cf. vss. 23ff). Yet in vs. 30 the apostle uses the past tense in order to give expression to his con­viction that glorification is definitely and absolutely going to happen. So certain is he that God's elect will receive the crown of righteousness that he feels free to speak as if God's own already have been glorified.

For the Christians of Rome that bold state­ment on the part of the apostle Paul con­tained immense comfort. These Christians of Rome — and it's true of Christians of every time and place — faced sufferings in this present life (vs. 18); they knew that creation, bodies and minds included, was in "bondage to decay" (vs. 21), they "groaned inwardly" as they waited for the day of perfection (vs 23), they experienced that they did "not know how to pray as ... ought" (vs 26), they knew that tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, etc, etc, was the possible lot of the Christian in this life so broken by sin.

But here was the gospel for these suffering believers: "those whom He justified He also glorified." Says Paul to the saints of all ages: God will not forsake the work He has begun. He predestined you to life eternal, and there­fore God had the gospel come to you to call you to faith in Jesus Christ. More, God caused you to respond to that call with faith so that you might be justified. And God will now not drop you; God will finish what He started, will certainly see to it that you will be glorified.

In a word: there is more to reality than the sufferings of this life; the glory of life with God in the New Jerusalem is certain, so cer­tain that we can speak of it as a reality we already have.