5 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.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:5-6 (KJV)

Saving faith, the faith that justifies the ungodly, not only saves the sinner but it pleases God. (Genesis 5:21-24) What is before us is extremely important. The phrase, “walked with God” means a consistent life of obedience. Enoch lived in fellowship with God. From this text in Genesis, we are told that for at least 300 years, Enoch walked with God. For 300 years God, was pleased with Enoch’s faith.

By faith, Enoch was taken

(Hebrews 11:5)

The ways in which Enoch pleased God:

  • He lived as if he was in heaven. 
  • He was consistently walking by faith and not by sight. 

We have a new standing before God. No longer are we considered enemies but beloved children. Our present standing before God is one of acceptance. (Colossians 1:13-14, John 5:24)

Are you walking with God?

  • In my power, I cannot walk with God. 
  • In my power, I cannot save myself. 
  • In my power, I cannot create within my being saving faith. 
  • I cannot do these things any more than Enoch could translate himself to heaven. 

Yet, these very things are required by God. He alone gives His people what we need to be pleasing to Him.

God had taken Enoch

Contained within this little phrase is the principle by which we can walk with God. By faith, we understand that we cannot walk with God. By faith, we rely on God to give us the desire and the ability to walk with Him. If we sincerely seek to live a life of fellowship with God and obedience to God and pray that He would grant us the power to do so, our lives will begin to change.

By faith, Enoch pleased God

(Hebrews 11:6)

How Enoch pleased God was through the functioning of his faith. He never once pleased God with his works. We cannot please God by our works either.

God’s works are glorious. God’s works show His holiness and His divine power. (1 Chronicles 16:24) God had given Enoch what He required. It was not Enoch’s works that pleased God, it was his faith. Where Abel was commended for a one-time act of bringing to God an acceptable offering, Enoch is commended for his life-long commitment to God – before God worked (Ephesians 2:2, Isaiah 53:6) and after God worked (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Amos 3:3).

Enoch Points to Christ

(John 11:25-26)

As Enoch was translated to glory, so we too will someday be translated from this world to the next. (Colossians 3:1-4)

By faith, we too must walk with God

Proper Motivation
Abel lived a life of faith that pleased God and God called him to martyrdom. Enoch’s faith led him to not experience death at all, but God took him home without dying. 

Abel died before Cain and Enoch were taken at a relatively young age compared to others in his day. Walking with God consistently requires a God-oriented motivation. We are created to bring Him glory in whatever situation He places us in. (Isaiah 43:7) God is sovereign and supreme. We are created to bring glory to Him. 

Proper Power (Acts 1:8)
The power to do what God commands is given to us by the Holy Spirit. We must listen to and obey the Spirit’s promptings. (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

Proper Prayer
If we are to walk with God we must do so by prayer. Prayer is the way our faith is exercised. When we pray, we are telling God that we understand our weakness and His strength. Prayer is trust or faith in God. When we pray in humble dependence, God is glorified.

The second reason we pray is to fellowship with God. 

As we think about this text and how Enoch walked with God, we should be about imitating his faith. We should see that the account of Enoch points to the work of Christ. Like Enoch who was translated by God to another domain, so we too as believers have been translated from the kingdom or darkness to the kingdom of light. 

Finally, we must seek to exercise our faith. To walk with God by faith, we must have the motivation of glorifying God no matter our circumstances, utilizing the power given to us by the Holy Spirit, and in humble submission pray to God.