God begins and ends the Christian life.
In Philippians 1:27, Paul exhorts the community to do one thing in his absence: “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” In this way, Paul says, your worthy lifestyle will be a “clear sign . . . of your salvation” (Phil. 1:28). At first glance, it seems that Paul, the Apostle of grace, is promoting salvation by works. It seems that we somehow need to prove ourselves worthy of the gospel before receiving salvation, with all the work of salvation falling into the lap of the believer. You will certainly find this perspective in both ancient and modern views of salvation. But is this self-saving message promoted by the Apostle Paul? A close look at Philippians 1:27 provides the answer. The Greek verb politeuomai, translated as “let your manner of life be,” is an imperative, that is, a command. By using this verb, Paul evokes the image of a city (politeuomai is derived from polis, meaning “city”). According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, the city (polis) in ancient ...