What does the Bible say about God's difference between the saved and the unsaved?

In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul explains that God's sovereign choice makes the difference between those He saves and those He passes by. The heart of this doctrine is that God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills (Romans 9:18). The examples of Jacob and Esau illustrate this divine prerogative. Jacob was chosen, not because he was inherently better, but purely out of God's electing love. This teaches us that the difference in spiritual condition is solely the work of God, not a result of individual merit or decision.