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EnochÕs Testimony

 

ÒBy 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.Ó (Hebrews 11:5)

 

Because Enoch walked with God by faith, he pleased God. Nothing pleases God except his Son, the only way you and I can come to God and please him is by faith in his dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). It is the merit of Christ that makes our worship of and service to God acceptable and pleasing in his sight (1 Peter 2:4-5).

 

By Faith

Learn this and you will learn something that wi1l help you immensely. — The highest form of sanctification is exactly the same as the earliest beginnings of salvation. It is believing God. To grow in grace is to grow in faith. The strongest believer lives exactly as the weakest babe in Christ — by faith! We stand before God by faith. We grow strong in grace only as we know ourselves to be weak and lay hold of ChristÕs strength. Having begun in the Spirit, we are not then made perfect by the works of the flesh. We do not begin and go a certain distance toward heaven by faith in Christ, and then finish our course, making up the difference by the works of the law. Salvation is by grace alone. Our standing before God is by grace alone. To walk with God and please him is to continue as we began, by faith (Read Co1ossians 2:6-7). The believerÕs life is a life of faith. The Lord Jesus Christ alone is our acceptance with God. We are Òaccepted in the beloved.Ó Apart from Christ there is no acceptance with God!

 

GodÕs Testimony

I stress this point because it needs stressing. Enoch walked with God by faith. He pleased God by believing God, by trusting Christ. We are sometimes tempted to strive after some imaginary Òhigher ground,Ó or Òdeeper life,Ó by looking to our feelings, our experiences, or works. That is all wrong. We are to look to Christ alone. Any religion, any doctrine, any sermon that leaves you looking to yourself, that turns your eyes away from Christ, is not of God. To walk with God is to 1ook away from yourself, your works, your feelings, your church, and look to Christ. Do not even look to the image of Christ created in you by the Holy Spirit in regeneration. Look to Jesus Christ alone!

      EnochÕs good testimony was GodÕs testimony to Enoch. It was the testimony God gives to believing sinners by the application of ChristÕs blood to our hearts, purging our consciences of sin, dead works, and guilt (Hebrews 9:13-14), convincing us of sin put away, righteousness accomplished, and judgment finished (John 16:7-11). It is not a good testimony before men, but a good testimony from God to us, assuring us of our acceptance with him in Christ, a testimony received by faith when Òthe love of God (is) shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto usÓ (Romans 5:5), causing the saved sinner to Òjoy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonementÓ (Romans 5:11).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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