330 Dimensions of Baptism
into which we have to put all the meaningful action. God meets his people
in the sacrament such that grace is given that would not have been
received any other way. As the work of God, it is a miracle.
And not only does God meet the believer and Church in baptism, but
promises sustaining grace for the life of discipleship. Paul, for example, finds
he has grace sufficient for his needs, indeed he can do all things through
Christ who strengthens him (2 Cor. 12.8; Phil. 4.13). Thus participation in
the life of Christ begins and continues in the work of God. We shall return to
this emphasis when we think on the common life of the Church.
Secondly, the theme of the moral miracle of faith assumes that Chris-
tians will live in ways that are different to those of their contemporaries. It
would be easy to demonstrate this emphasis from within the New Testa-
ment. Christians should not be surprised if they experience life as resident
aliens and exiles (1 Pet. 2.11). The basic confession of the baptized is
'Jesus Christ is Lord'. This is indeed a statement with political conse-
quence, leading as it might to the witness of martyrdom. The naming of a
different Lord is bound to have moral consequences, both for the individ-
ual Christian and for the Church. The calling of the Christian is to the way
of Christ, a different way to that of the 'world'.
For example, Paul discusses with the Philippians their way of life. He
appeals to them not to do anything from selfish ambition or conceit, but to
look to the interests of others. Indeed, he calls on them to have the same
mind as was in Christ Jesus, and illustrates what he means by quoting an
early hymn (Phil. 2.1-11). Reading of the one who humbled himself and
took the form of a servant, it is hard not to recall the story in the Fourth
Gospel of Jesus taking a towel and washing his disciples' feet (Jn 13.1 -5).
Jesus was no conformist to the mores of his day. Those who follow him,
who acknowledge his authority, will find that they too live a different life.^7
This is not just a matter of individual behaviour. The Church is called tobe a different kind of community. It is a new political reality in the world.
'The first and most important implication of baptism is the formation of a
diacritical community, the church. Baptism initiates the individual into a
community that takes its identity from the death and resurrection of Christ.With a new identity, the Christian is reoriented towards the world.'^8 The
- Immediate examples of Christians who came to behave in ways not to be
expected of them given their upbringing would be Martin Luther King Jr and Oscar
Romero. - R.E. Warren and R. Clapp, People of the Truth (San Francisco: Harper & Row,
1988), p. 75.