Cox urges messengers to stay connected with God, avoid being ‘spiritual dropouts’

When you stay around God’s place and you stay around God’s people and you stay around God’s pastor, you will then find the greatest treasure in life, next to your salvation in Christ,” said Henry Cox, president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention. “You will find God’s purpose in your life. But you will never find His purpose unless you stay in His presence.”
   
Cox urged messengers to the annual meeting of the convention during his presidential address Nov. 15 to stay in God’s presence.
   
Far too often, when Christians have sin in their lives, they turn away from God’s presence, Cox said to those assembled at Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville, in Madison Baptist Association.
   
One of his greatest personal disappointments in ministry has been the number of “spiritual dropouts.” 
   
Cox, who is pastor of First Baptist Church, Bay Minette, in Baldwin Baptist Association, noted that “the easiest explanation for the inactivity and uninvolvement of so many who call themselves Christians is to declare that such people have never been saved.”
   
But those who are not saved need resurrection, not revival, Cox said; it is those who are saved that need revival. “When we talk about revival, we are talking about God’s children who need to return to Him,” he said.
   
Reading from Genesis 4:8–10 and 16, Cox said Cain exhibited a pattern of behavior that “backsliding believers” follow — he walked away from the presence of God. 
   
Cox contrasted this with the actions of King David in Psalm 51 — even though David committed adultery and murder, he made an intentional choice to stay in the presence of God.
   
“If you want to live the abundant life that Jesus promised, if you want to make it in the Christian life, don’t ever leave the presence of God,” Cox said. “No believer can ever get serious about Intentional Evangelism until he makes the intentional choice to stay in the presence of God.”
   
Looking at Cain and David, he said, “One man cannot stand to be in the presence of God, and one man cannot stand to be away from the presence of God. That is the difference between a man God can use for His glory and the one He cannot use.”
   
There are three practices Christians can act on to remain in the presence of God, he said.
   
First, if believers want to stay in God’s presence, then they must choose to stay around God’s place.
   
Cox noted that in the Old Testament, when the Israelites were gathered in the tabernacle or around God’s altar, they knew they were in the presence of God. In the New Testament, God’s presence is associated with the congregation of Christian believers, he said.
   
Therefore “we should always come into the assembly of His people with great expectation and anticipation,” Cox said.
   
Along with staying near God’s place, staying near God’s people can encourage Christians to remain in God’s presence, he said.
   
Cox noted that when Cain sinned, he left his family — those that could have helped him the most. The same often happens with believers, Cox said.
   
“I believe that some folks forsake the assembly of God’s people because the presence of God is there, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit comes upon them when they show up with unconfessed sin in their lives,” he said. But “they’re walking away from the very people who will treat them better than anyone else in the world.”
   
Christians also need to stay around God’s pastors, Cox said.
   
“When Cain left the presence of God, he left behind any person who could speak the Word of God into his life,” he noted. “But David allowed Nathan and other prophets of God to speak the truth of God into his life.”
   
Cox said this was essential for believers. “Every Christian must have someone who can and will speak the Word of God into his life,” he said. He noted this may hurt and be uncomfortable for believers, but it will help them to stay in the presence of God.