The permissive character of the sovereign decision over the “vessels of wrath” makes it possible for it to coexist with the salvific “desire” and universal love. Yet, it is no rational solution. I cannot understand why the Lord of lords so decides about men and women he loves. I have argued elsewhere that this mystery must remain opaque, a thorn in the flesh of our reason, the occasion for humble trust. The riddle is the riddle of evil, and adherents of both definite atonement and Hypothetical Universalism must face it, in humble trust.
