Genesis 5:23-24 (NLT)
23 Enoch lived 365 years, 24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
Enoch reminds us by his life and rapture of the most important thing in life. Let’s face it; our responsibility to steward our lives and families often overtakes the most important thing. Entertainment and the many voices of our world often distract us from the most important thing. Walking with God is the most important thing.
Embrace a beautiful limitation…we can only walk down one path at a time.
When we choose to walk with God, that choice makes walking down other paths impossible.
When we walk with God, we cannot walk down the path of ignoring His presence.
To walk with God is to be ever-aware of Him and His activity. It is to remind oneself of the supremacy of His agenda over ours. Being aware of God is to be purposefully thinking of Him throughout the day whether we are doing something overtly religious or seemingly mundane. Consider that we are told to do everything as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). That is essentially walking with God.
When we walk with God, we cannot walk down the path of ignoring His boundaries.
To walk with God is to accept when God says “no” and submit. Enoch prophesied about people who would use God’s grace as an excuse to live immoral lives (Jude 1:14-15). Grace is not a concession of God to excuse our sins; it is God Himself. God is under no obligation to save us from hell because we said a prayer or mentally believed right things. Anyone who calls out to the Lord in complete sincerity for forgiveness, will be forgiven. However, we can never have complete sincerity of sorrow if we ignore God’s boundaries.
Receiving grace always leads to becoming more moral like God, because receiving grace is receiving Holy God Himself. And when God is received, His Spirit enables and motivates the believer to perform good works. Anyone who claims by their actions or words that immorality is permitted because God will excuse them because they believe in Jesus, have not received grace; they have convinced themselves that they have a hell insurance card. It is easier to carry a hell insurance card than labor to act pleasing to God in an ongoing relationship with Him. Salvation is impossible apart from a submissive relationship with Jesus Christ.
How can two walk together unless they are in agreement? Walking with God is walking in agreement with Him on what is right, wrong, and who’s in charge.
What is one thing you could do today to remember God’s presence and embrace His boundaries?
Thank you Joshua, for my daily reminder of God’s word. I was thinking on Enoch just this morning. Thinking, what it means to walk so close with God, that He thought you fit better in Heaven then to stay on the earth.
Jeff, that’s a great thought that really shows how close we can get to God. I want to fit in heaven better than here on earth. Reminds me of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 who went through so much suffering and it says that the world was not worthy of them. Thanks for commenting!