Vanhoozer writes,
“Time provides us with opportunities to align ourselves with the created order and with what God wills to be done in particular situations. Thus time affords us opportunities to respond rightly to what is happening in the world in order to learn the way of wisdom.” (RT, 321)
How are these statements rationally coherent with the Calvinist’s claim that God, from all eternity has ordained “whatsoever comes to pass?” What could “opportunities to align ourselves” mean if everything that I will think, desire, and do has already been predetermined by God?
Also, if we are given time so as “to align ourselves with the created order and with what God wills to be done in particular situations,” doesn’t such language imply that time also provides us with “opportunities” to fail to align ourselves with the created order and with what God wills to be done in particular situations? But Vanhoozer believes that God’s will is always done in all things because he has predetermined all things. So what Vanhoozer says here makes no sense. It is incoherent. The words “opportunities” and “align ourselves” indicate potentiality, contingency, conditionality, and personal responsibility. This vocabulary presupposes libertarian freedom. It only makes sense given libertarian freedom.
Now, if we interpret Vanhoozer to be speaking about the elect, that is, if he is saying that God determines some people to align themselves with his will, then Vanhoozer ought to tell us so. He ought to be clear about what his theology requires him to say. He also should discuss what happens to those God has not determined to align themselves with his will. He has only painted the rosy picture of what “time provides” for the elect. If we have opportunities to respond rightly with what God wills to be done, the implication is that we have the potential of contrary choice and may respond wrongly. Who determines the wrong response that is not aligned with “what God wills to be done in particular situations?” It could not be God, for then he would not only be willing against his own will, but also his own nature as good. He would be the cause of sin in a person. And if Vanhoozer only means to say that God works what he has willed and predetermined to occur in all things and this takes time, his speaking about “opportunities” and “respond[ing] rightly” and “learn[ing] the way of wisdom” is really misleading. This only amounts to the statement that God works his predetermined will in sequence and therefore in time. Furthermore, how does one “respond rightly” so as to be saved given a deterministic sovereignty and unconditional election? You don’t respond “rightly” or “wrongly” to anything, you are simply “effected” by the “effectual call” or not “effected” according to what God has predestined regarding your eternal destiny.
The Truth of the Gospel 