Grace on Trial - Robert J. Wieland

to be saved and easy to be lost. God has done His
part long ago, as the teacher has done his part in
dishing out the academy or college course content,
and now it's up to us to do our part by shaping up.
For many, this is the traditional Adventist
"gospel." They often feel that they can't shape up.
Whether or not their impression is fair is not our
point; this is what they have picked up, and this is
what matters.
(2) The opposite extreme is especially in
academic communities—a relaxed attitude of
laissez-faire liberalism. It tends to downplay the
necessity or even possibility of true obedience to
God's law. He knows we can't keep it properly, and
therefore doesn't seriously expect us to. Try to be
moral if you can, but if it's not easy, trust His
indulgent, grandfatherly softness. He will excuse
you. "Occasional lapses" of moral failure are par
for the course (that's a popular phrase). Since Jesus
is our vicarious Substitute, His perfect obedience
must always be a mythical experience impossible
for us. The more relaxed atmosphere of non-
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