Faith That Gives Everlasting Life Series

FAITH THAT GIVES LIFE EVERLASTING

Hebrews 11:5 & 6

My brothers and my sister when it comes to everlasting life, there is one key ingredient, it’s called faith. The thing that should make Christianity appeal to all of us is that we have the assurance of knowing that we have everlasting life. That is what separate Christianity from the rest. While many religions appeal to the common reasoning of society, Christianity appeals to the satisfaction of knowing that our caring and loving God gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, to died for our sins as the Father’s sacrificial Lamb. And the appeal of Christianity can only happen to those believers that have absolute faith in God’s Holy Word.

Last week, we talked about the Spiritual Power of Faith. We learned how Abel, who was a keeper of the sheep and Cain who was a tiller of the soil, understood what was required for a sacrifice unto the Lord, it called for a blood sacrifice. But as we found out, Cain, instead of sacrificing what the Lord had prescribed, offered up the first fruit of the ground, while his brother Abel sacrificed unto the Lord a little lamb, which resulted in God respecting Abel and his sacrifice. This pleased God so much that Abel obtained God’s witness and the Father called him righteous. Even after his death at the hand of his brother, Abel’s sacrifice unto the Lord is still speaking volumes to us today.

In today’s lesson we will witness Enoch and his faith. The text lets us know that Enoch did not experience death because he was translated to God because of his walk with God. Enoch’s walk with God was so rewarding that it pleased God and God would not have him to face death, but to be taken up to be with God.

So, let’s look at Enoch’s faith, and see how his faith lead him into everlasting life, without facing death.

First of all verse 5 tells us that . . .

1. HIS WALK WITH GOD WAS ENOUGH FOR HIM TO NOT EXPERIENCE DEATH (v.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.”

Oliver Green in his book [The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews] said about Enoch’s translation and I quote; “It has been said that Enoch was walking with God one day, and they walked and talked so long in such sweet fellowship that near nightfall God said to Enoch, ’It is nearer to my house than to your house, so let us go on to my house.” As wonderful as that might sound, the bible says that Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him. As we venture back into the old testament, we would find in Genesis chapter five the genealogy of Adam. We should pay close attention to the event of each of Adam’s descendants lives. You would see their name, the age of the person, his siblings and the length of time he lived. Then it said “and he died”. To show you what I mean turn in your bibles to Genesis Five verses three through five and it said, “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4. After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. 5. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty eight years; and he died. The scriptures said basically the same thing about Adams descendants. Seth begot Enosh, lived to be nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. Enosh begot Cainan, lived to be nine hundred and five years old, and He died. Cainan begot Mahalalel, lived to be nine hundred and ten years old, and he died. Mahalalel begot Jared, lived to be eight hundred and ninety-five years old, and he died. Jared begot Enoch, lived to be nine hundred and sixty-two years old, and he died. But our focal point should be on Enoch, because this fifth chapter verses 22-24 says, “After he [Enoch] begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years and had sons and daughters. 23. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God had took him. The thing that we should have seen differently in this chapter was that the rest lived, had children and died, while Enoch lived, had children and walked away with God, never to see death. You see Enoch was the prototype in the old testament of what the New Testament Christians that have faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit will experience. Although we will experience physical death, but through our faith in God’s Word and the belief that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that He has gone away to prepare a place for us that we will live forever be with the Him throughout eternity. So like Enoch we must learn to walk with the Lord.