"He Had This Testimony, That He Pleased God."   

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, thee 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 (I Pet. 2:4-5). Learn this and you will learn something that wi11 help you immensely - The highest form of sanctification is exactly the same the earliest beginnings of salvation. It is believing God. To grow in grace is to grow in faith. Thee strongest believer lives exactly as the weakest babe 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 Christ's 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 Co1. 2:6-7). The believer's life is a life of faith. I stress this point because it needs stressing. Enoch walked with God by faith. He pleased God by believing God, by trusting Christ. We some sometimes tempted to strive after some imaginary "higher ground", or "deeper life", by looking to our feelings, our experiences, or works. That is all wrong! We are to look to Christ alone! Any religion, any doctrine, 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. But look to Jesus Christ alone!

 

 "My hope is built on nothing less

 Than Jesus' blood and righteousness!

 I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

 But wholly lean on Jesus' name!"

 

 Jesus Christ alone is our acceptance with God. We are "accepted in the beloved." Apart from Christ there is no acceptance with God!

 

Don Fortner