Romans chapter 8, Paul's getting into some heavy-hitting, hardcore, doctrinal themes.

But not only that, the things that Paul is going to talk about, well, as it turns out,

it's one of the more controversial subjects. And Christians have been arguing about what Paul

is going to say in our text today for centuries, arguing about how do we

perceive this? Like, how do we understand what Paul is saying? And it has to do with some of those

basic questions that the Bible sort of leaves us seemingly hanging. For example, did you choose to accept Christ and believe in God? Or did God

choose you? And because he already chose you, that's why you accepted Christ. If he chose us,

then are we locked in, eternally secure? Or is there a possibility where you could lose your salvation or maybe

leave your salvation? And it has to do with God's sovereignty versus humans' free will.

And it's a giant debate. And Paul's going to really talk about this. and you'll see both sides quoting Paul in our

text today arguing for their side. Today we will kind of look at something that maybe today a lot of

times the arguments defined as Calvinism versus Armenianism. All the questions I was just talking

about in the debate

are really those groups are arguing back and forth.

But one of the things that Paul is going to refer to,

remember, for every New Testament truth, there's an Old Testament picture.

And one is that of Pharaoh.

Pharaoh in Exodus chapter 8 through 14.

We know the Bible tells us Pharaoh was chosen by the Lord,

raised up for a single purpose.

And his purpose was that his heart would be hardened.

Now, you Bible students, you Bible scholars,

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