Why are the Romans 9 election verses so hard to teach?
Election is hard to teach because people confuse the issue, assuming if it is all up to being elected, they have no choice and need not worry. This doctrine is for believers who accept it by faith; unbelievers cannot comprehend it and should instead hear that whosoever will may come.
Les explains that these verses in Romans 9 are mighty hard to swallow and mighty hard to teach because people are going to confuse the issue and fall into the trap of saying, 'Well, if it's all up to my being elected, then why should I worry about it? I'll just go my own way, and if God sees fit to grab me by the nap of the neck and I'm elected, great, I'll go to heaven. If not, I'm going to go to hell because I've got no choice in the matter.' But the Bible never teaches that. Les clarifies that the succeeding verses touching the election, the calling of the believers since eternity past, is a doctrine that should be studied only by the believer. As a believer, God wants us to know that in our exalted position we didn't come in by accident; we came into this position because in eternity past God chose us. That is something only the believer can take by faith—God said it, and I can't argue with it. For the unbeliever, he can't comprehend this, and I don't expect him to, because it isn't for the unbeliever to try and swallow. The unbeliever has to understand whosoever will may come; that God has said He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance; and that Christ died for every man.