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Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him; because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and its lust, but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Church retreats never seem real. Whether it’s the isolated beauty of Latham Springs during the college conference or the soothing sounds of waves lapping against the beach at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, these places feel utterly removed from the grind of daily life. We relish the opportunity to unplug our devices, disconnect from social media and toss our textbooks to the side (except for engineering majors) for a few days at a time in order to fully immerse ourselves in fellowship and enjoy the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Why can’t life always be this way?

These retreats are just a small taste of God’s heavenly vision. We live in a world that is fundamentally opposed to this idyllic, Spirit-filled nature. Satan rules the earth we inhabit, and he fights with all his might to trap us here. He wages subtle, deadly warfare against our bodies, souls, and spirits to keep us occupied throughout our entire lives, fearing the day we make a life-changing discovery: that by allowing the Lord to work Himself into us and fill us with His life, we can transcend this sinful world.

In Genesis 1:28-29, God establishes two necessities for man: food and marriage. Man must eat in order to live, and man must marry in order to multiply and replenish the earth. Shortly thereafter, man fell, and from that point forward, he needed clothing to cover his sinful, naked body and housing to protect his physical body. This is evidence of man’s fall from spirit to soul, then from soul to flesh, and ultimately from flesh to idol worship—which brings us to the present day.

The modern world is a satanic system, designed to preoccupy us and divert our attention from God to idols—and I’m not just talking about the cliché sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. Any seemingly good thing—be it a promotion at work, a passion for singing, or an afternoon watching college football—can become an idol and a hindrance to our spiritual life if it distracts us from God’s purpose. Remember: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil did have some good to it, but it drew man away from God. The idols of modern, Western civilization are things, good or bad, that we love to the point of servitude, with the result that they occupy our hearts and replace God. God said to Ezekiel, “These men have set up idols in their hearts” (Ezek. 14:3).

If we allow ourselves to be caught up in the world, it will simply keep us entertained until we die. But there is a way to overcome this deceitful, deadly system: by having a vision of God’s eternal purpose. In case you forgot: God became flesh in Christ, died on the cross for our sins, resurrected as the life-giving Spirit and is now dispensing His life into us. We become more saturated with Christ every day, and as we receive His life, we become built up as the church and Body of Christ. Eventually, we will be completely transformed into His perfect counterpart, ushering in His return.

Man, that’s a mouthful. But the point is simple: God’s heavenly vision and eternal purpose is to dispense His life into us so that He can finally return and live with us.

We can take several steps to hasten the Lord’s return. For one, we need to actively seek Him! Reading the Bible, waking up early to pray and calling on His name throughout the day will strengthen our bond and fill us with God’s life. Secondly, we need to fellowship with other believers, enjoying the Lord together and taking care of new believers so that they may be built up in the Body. This fellowship promotes the two fundamental elements of God’s vision: life and oneness.

Sounds pretty simple, right? Unfortunately, as we’ve already discovered, the world presents plenty of distractions specially designed to pique our individual interests. These temptations never go away, and they never get easier to overcome. Every second of every day, we’re faced with a choice: will we pursue the world, or will we pursue God?

Thankfully, being surrounded by other members of the Body holds us accountable and motivates us to seek the Lord. And I promise you (as will anybody else who’s done the same), once you forgo the world and pursue Him wholeheartedly, you will feel more enlivened in your spirit than ever before. Every time we choose Christ, we drive a spike into Satan and dismantle his shallow plans. At that moment, we are genuine overcomers.

With that being said, of course church retreats feel so refreshing and surreal. We’re stripping away the outside world and focusing purely on God’s vision: to take Him as life and be built up as the Body of Christ. We’re praying to Him in the morning, singing His praises in the evening, and speaking His word to our brothers and sisters at all hours in between. We focus so singularly on Christ that our spirits become utterly saturated; sometimes, we don’t even feel like we’re still living on the same planet. Why can’t life always be this way?

Don’t worry. Someday, it will.

By: B. Rolli

Bryan Rolli
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