Sorry I'm putting in late but here is my contribution. I believe that this is a fairly "reformed" protestant understanding of the Scriptures:

I beleive that God is totally just and righteous in everything He makes and does.

I also beleive He is totally sovereign. Nothing happens outside of His will.

I do believe He gives man a choice and holds man responsible for what he chooses.

Man makes his choice "willingly". No one forces him.

His problem is that, left to his own will, he chooses sinfully. Man is not "free" to choose righteousness... his heart is a slave to sin.

He is worthy of God's wrath and God is not unjust to inflict it.

God is full of love and mercy. He sent His own Son Jesus to give His live for the world. But the world would rather hang Him on a tree and get on with their wickedness.

God elected, before the foundation of the world, to save some regardless of this universal rejection by mankind of His goodness and glory. To those elect God gives the gift of faith by divine revelation, according to the promises and by the Holy Spirit. He changes man's heart and makes him willing to obey and to love God. This new man is still not "free". Having formely been a slave to sin, he is now a slave to righteousness (Romans 6).

The wicked will be punished on the last day. I don't quite know what I believe about how long that punishment will go on for, having not looked deeply enough at the Scriptures on that point. What I do know is that whatever God does to those who are not saved will be righteous and just and loving, for He can do nothing less.

Even if it is an eternal torment(and my human mind does struggle with that idea) I trust God that it will be right. I don't suppose for one minute that my human mind can comprehend the justice of God for one second. It would be like asking a sparrow to solve calculus puzzels (Selah). But God's justice does not depend on my understanding it or even accepting it. God does not have to answer to us, we have to answer to Him.

Blessings
Cat.