What's our GRAND PRIZE?

By David Hobbs

Philippians 3:14--I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

My question is: what is that great prize for which we have been called heavenward? A prize so great that Paul counted everything else but rubbish compared to it; the prize for which he was straining with everything he had in him? In fact, from the language he uses, it seems to have become the whole goal of his walk in Christ--The GRAND PRIZE of his Christian Life. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP In asking this question around, one of the answers I have gotten is salvation—eternal life. Yet Paul had been born again and serving God for years. Paul already had eternal life. Besides, eternal life is not something that is earned by effort. How could Paul be hoping to win eternal life by his great efforts? PPPPPPPPPPPPPPP Another answer is our glorified bodies. That’s something he doesn’t have yet and is hoping for. True, but won’t every believer receive a glorified body? Was Paul hoping for a special one? Hmm. Could be, but where else is that supported in Scripture? PPPPPPPPPPPPPPP Then what else could it be? What was that prize that so motivated him? PPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Back when I was first called into a life of prayer, the Lord gave me the verse: “Anyone who comes to [God] must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” [Heb. 11:6]. So all the time I was praying and seeking Him, I kept wondering what my reward would be. Would it be some great gift of healing, that would cause cancer to flee at my command? Would it be great wealth that I could use to bankroll the Kingdom? All the while I was having great experiences with God—singing and worshipping and pouring out my heart to Him, being overcome by revelations of His goodness and mercy (there were times I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t even sing—all I could do was cry, rendered mute with gratefulness and wonder). I learned to bring down the anointing of God by lifting up my voice with praise and declarations of His victory and power, feeling that same power surge through me and route the enemy. And all the time I kept wondering what my reward would be and eagerly anticipating when it would appear. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP It took years before the Lord opened my dense mind that, duh, “I am your reward and you’ve been receiving it all along!!” Wow! Talk about a paradigm shift! PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP The longer I prayed and the deeper I got in Him, the more I realized the truth of that statement. Like God said to Abraham in Genesis 15:1—“I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Did that just apply to Abraham? Or was it for all of us? Could that be the great prize that Paul was striving toward in Phil. 3? PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP Actually I’ve been teasing you. Paul answers his own question in chapter 2 just before: 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP But Paul was saved. Didn’t he already have Christ? I submit to you there is a difference. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP To be saved, one has Christ as Savior. But that is not the fullness of Christ. That’s not even necessarily Christ as Lord. The more a person is conformed to the image of Christ, the more that person has Christ. Paul wanted to be so conformed to Christ’s image that he shared in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings even to the point of being made conformable to His death, so that he could also share in the power of Christ’s resurrection and attain to the resurrection of the dead. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP Now some could argue that attaining to the resurrection of the dead and getting his glorified body was the great prize Paul was striving for. But I would ask: Was Paul trying to use Christ to gain his glorified body? Or was Paul wanting to use the resurrection and his glorified body to gain the fullness of Christ? What was the ultimate goal—a glorified body or Christ Himself? Think with me here. What is greater, a part of the creation, or the creator? PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP God is offering us Himself as our ultimate prize. No created thing, no matter how exalted, could possibly compare to that! (And if you think it could … seriously, you need to have a radical restructuring in your thinking processes.) PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP That’s one of the great weaknesses in American church theology and it shows up everywhere. We don’t understand the fullness of who Jesus is and we don’t understand what our inheritance is in Him. We’re happy to settle for a "mansion over there" on the "streets of gold" when we’ve been promised the King of the Universe! PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP I may have a mansion in heaven, but don’t come looking for me there. I won’t be in it unless by some chance Jesus is there as my house guest. Otherwise I’ll be where Jesus is. Just look for where the glory light is shining brightest, where the cheers are most exuberant, where the angels are circling in thick clouds, where the trumpets are blowing, where the singing is loudest…. that will be where Jesus is! And you will find me as close as I can possibly get, hopefully as part of His bride who is always at His side. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP Hang the mansion! Forget the streets of gold! Keep the angels! Pass on the 73 virgins! I want Jesus!! He’s the GRAND PRIZE for which I'm being called heavenward! Brethren, In His presence there is fullness of joy, at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore! Don't settle for anything less!!