The rest of Romans 8 is really telling us how to cope with difficult times. All the stuff in the earlier chapters about righteousness through faith is vitally relevant though. For one of things that happens when we go through trials is that our weaknesses are exposed, we are made brutally aware of our shortcomings, and there is a tremendous tendency to feel guilty. Sometimes the guilt is justified in a sense, for sometimes we are partly or largely responsible for the mess we get into. But even when we are not responsible we still find it very easy to feel guilty.
This guilt (whether justified or not) and awareness of our weakness can paralyse us into inaction, but Christ has become our righteousness. He is the one who has paid the price, and we are to live by the Spirit and by faith, not out of our own merits or strength. So no matter why we are going through a trial, we can approach the matter with hope because of what Jesus has done.
The first thing that Paul says is to give us an eternal perspective. The sufferings may be great, but compared to the future glory they are as nothing. There will come a day when every tear is wiped away, every illness healed, every wound healed (Rev 21:4). Moreover, God's glory will be revealed in us. Through His work in our lives in the midst of the sufferings His character will be formed in our lives.
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