How To Walk With God
Genesis, a book people often view as “boring” or “irrelevant,” is filled with many chapters explaining the lineage or genealogies leading to Christ and our Christian faith. John Phillips, a noted Bible teacher, said that “Genealogies tell you that people matter to God, he keeps records of our lives and our deaths, and he has a book somewhere with all our names in it (Book of Life).” While you can search through much of Genesis and find the genealogies of many Old Testament greats, the genealogy of a few still puzzle us. In this lesson, we will focus on such a person-Enoch.
An important figure in scripture, Enoch only appears briefly in four places in the Bible. His name means “walking with God” and is often linked to the idea of eschatology, or the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind. Enoch’s story briefly mentions the rapture or second coming of Christ, and only Enoch and Elijah appear to have escaped physical death and went directly into the presence of God. You read that right, Enoch skipped death and was basically taken from Earth straight to heaven. No body found. Hebrews 11:5 states, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” While that is no doubt a mind-boggling idea, it’s also important to focus on the rest of Enoch’s story. He demonstrated extreme faith and the meaning, importance, and secret to walking with God. Today, let’s dive in and learn to live a life like Enoch-a life that walks with God. (Alprazolam)
The Meaning of Walking with God
What does it mean to walk with God? Genesis 5:21-24 shows us the meaning of walking with God is to please God. To walk with God represents intimacy or communion with God. To walk with God is to be devoted to him. Remember, we were made to walk with God. Adam walked with God in the garden. Noah walked with God prior to building the ark. Even Jesus walked with God through all 33 years of his life on Earth.
But that’s not all.
Walking with God means to live in the presence of God. When you believe in your heart that you are accepted and approved by God, then you will experience a personal relationship with God in an amazing way that confirms that truth.
The Importance of Walking with God
Why is it important to walk with God? Genesis 5 shows us that walking with God:
- Protects us from God’s judgment
Enoch lived a life that was full and meaningful. Walking with God keeps your life from becoming an empty wasteland, but rather a life of intimacy and closeness with him. - Leaves a legacy of faith
Enoch was a father to Methuselah, a son who would also walk closely with God, following his father’s example. - Serves as a witness
Enoch was a witness of God’s grace to those who sought him and judgement to those who rejected him.
1 Genesis 5:21-24, Luke 3:37, Hebrews 11:5-6, and Jude v.14
The Secret to Walking with God
Now that we know the meaning of walking with God and the importance of it, how do we do it? What is the secret to walking with God? (clubdeportestolima.com.co) Enoch’s relationship shows us what Adam and Eve lost once removed from Eden. His relationship illustrates the sweetness in communing and fellowshipping with God. With such beauty and purity, is this something we can achieve? The answer is yes! Here’s the three-step process:
1. Repent of your sin
2. Receive forgiveness through Christ
3. Walk with God as he restores and redeems your life
While Step 1 and 2 are pretty straightforward ways to reconcile with God through the gospel, Step 3 is where we decide what kind of relationship we want with God. Step 3 is where we build intimacy with God through discipline and time. Here we have two options on how we want our relationship with God to look: works-based or grace-based. Spoiler alert-grace-based is better, but let’s discuss each so you understand why.
Works-based = Performance to gain God’s approval
In this relationship, you work to merit God’s favor. The problem with a works-based relationship is that you must keep working to gain approval. Enoch saw the secret of closeness with God when he discovered that he did not have to work for approval, but that approval from God was the result of what God had already done for him. Just like Christ, we are God’s beloved children, who he is well pleased with!
Grace-based = Gain acceptance through Christ’s sacrifice
In this relationship, our approval is not based on works, but Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. When you exercise faith in the cross, you please God and come into close fellowship with him – a fellowship based on truth and facts that cannot change and is not subject to feelings. One based on Jesus paying a debt in full that we owed, a payment erases our debt and frees us to have a relationship as beautiful and pure as the one Enoch had.
Summing It Up
We have learned a lot today. Let’s sum it all up in a few points:
- Walking with God means to please God and live in his presence.
- It is important to walk with God because it protects us from God’s judgment, leaves a legacy of faith, and serves as a witness.
- We can start our walk with God by repenting of our sin, receiving forgiveness through Christ, and walking with God as he restores and redeems our lives.
- We can either choose to have a works-based relationship with God based on performance to gain his approval or a grace-based one that gives us acceptance through Christ’s sacrifice.
- We decide which walk we want with God; will we choose to build up works or walk in grace?