What Does It Mean to Walk with God?

John MacArthur opens the discussion by contrasting the intimate communion of Adam and Eve before the fall with the post‑fall reality. He argues that God has never been a distant, legalistic deity; rather, He is a personal companion who “walks with” those who are reconciled to Him. The question becomes: what does it look like to walk with God in a fallen world?

Faith Without Works: How Enoch Pleased God

MacArthur points to Hebrews 11:5‑6, where Enoch is described as being “taken up” because he “was pleasing to God.” The passage raises the issue of whether Enoch’s approval came from deeds or from belief. He explains that Enoch’s faith was rooted in trusting that God is who He says He is and that God rewards those who seek Him. This faith, he says, is the bridge that allows a person to enter the “glories of eternal life.”

Enoch as a Preacher of Judgment

The sermon turns to Jude 14, which records Enoch as a prophet who warned of the Lord’s coming judgment. MacArthur notes that this prophetic voice, preserved in oral tradition and later in the pseudepigraphical book of First Enoch, shows that Enoch’s walking with God also involved proclaiming God’s future actions. The message was not about the flood but about the final judgment, underscoring the long‑term perspective of a faithful walk.

Faith as a Gift: What Enoch’s Example Teaches Us

MacArthur reminds listeners that faith is a gift from God available to anyone who trusts. He cites Paul’s teaching that faith is not of our own making, and that the same saving faith that lifted Enoch also lifts modern believers, enabling them to overcome doubt, fear, and sin. The point is that Enoch’s example is not an unreachable ideal but a model of the faith God offers to all.

To hear how these themes unfold in detail and to explore the practical implications for today’s faith journey, listen to the full episode of Grace to You.