Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Enoch's Faith and Walking with God: Questions and Answers

What does it mean to "walk with God" according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, walking with God means much more than simply believing in God or living a moral life. It means having a conscious awareness of God's presence and companionship. As he explains, "The whole picture is of two companions walking along a road together, each one conscious of the presence of the other." Walking with God involves a constant, deliberate fellowship with Him, where one recognizes they're always in God's presence. It includes keeping God's commandments, avoiding things that displease Him, and experiencing intimate relationship with Him. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "The man who walks with God is a man who reminds himself of that and is conscious of that...His chief desire is to please God, to keep God's laws and thereby to be well pleasing in God's sight."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain Hebrews 11:6 about faith being necessary to please God?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the phrase "he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" is frequently misunderstood. He clarifies that this isn't merely about believing in God's existence and that God rewards good behavior. Rather, faith means "an acceptance and a submission to the revelation of God." It means believing what God has revealed about Himself in Scripture rather than relying on human speculation or philosophy.

The phrase "that he is" refers to God's self-revelation as "I AM THAT I AM" to Moses, the covenant God who has pledged Himself to His people. And believing He "is a rewarder" means accepting God's revealed way of salvation, His promises of mercy and redemption for those who seek Him. Lloyd-Jones states, "The man of faith doesn't say, 'oh well, of course now we're in 1963, we no longer believe in God up there'... A Christian is a man of faith. He believes that God is what he has revealed himself to be."

What was the difference between Enoch and others of his generation according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Enoch lived during "those terrible, horrible days before the flood, the days of Sodom and Gomorrah... these awful, dissolute, evil, sinful days." What distinguished Enoch wasn't merely that he "believed in God and lived a fairly good life" while others were "godless and vile and evil."

The key difference was that Enoch "diligently sought" God. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "He didn't just say, 'of course, I couldn't dream of doing things like that' and then just live a nice little quiet, respectable life." Instead, Enoch actively pursued relationship with God as "the big central thing in his life." He was "always seeking Him... always turning to Him in thought, in meditation and in prayer." While others in his generation were consumed with worldly pleasures and sins, Enoch's primary concern was enjoying God's presence and living in a way that pleased Him, making him stand "as a light in the heaven" and "a rebuke to all the ungodliness that was rampant round and about him."

How does one receive the testimony that they please God, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Lloyd-Jones, receiving the testimony that one pleases God is a deeply personal, subjective experience rather than merely an objective historical record. He explains that Enoch received this testimony because "God gave Enoch the privilege of his companionship. Enoch knew that he was walking in the presence of God. He knew God. God was his companion, and God made it quite clear to him that he loved him, that he was well pleased with him."

Lloyd-Jones describes this as God "giving him intimations of his nearness and of his presence, speaking to him in different ways, blessing him in certain manners, giving him this intimate, personal realization that he was there." This direct, immediate knowledge of God's pleasure is "the height of assurance." He references other biblical examples like Jacob at Peniel, where God gave this kind of certainty. Ultimately, this testimony comes through God's direct communication with the believer, manifested in the awareness of His presence and the assurance of His love.

What is the relationship between faith and walking with God in the Christian life?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that faith is the foundation upon which walking with God is built. He states, "Without faith, you can't begin. Nothing can be done at all." Faith is accepting and submitting to God's revelation, believing "that God is what he has revealed himself to be" and trusting in His way of salvation.

However, the Christian life doesn't stop at belief. From this foundation of faith comes "diligently seeking" God through prayer, meditation, and communion with Him. Then, as a practical outworking of both faith and devotion, comes "walking with God" - living daily life in the conscious awareness of God's presence, keeping His commandments, avoiding sin, and when one falls, returning to Him through confession and cleansing.

Lloyd-Jones describes this as "the full life of faith" with three components: "You get the whole basis in faith. You get this devotional aspect, this experimental aspect in experience, experiential aspect... And then thirdly, you get this practical, outworking." Faith thus initiates and sustains the believer's walk with God, enabling both the relational and practical aspects of the Christian life.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe we need examples like Enoch in today's world?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the critical need of our time is not merely denouncing sin but demonstrating a godly alternative. He states, "Mere denunciation of evil gets you nowhere. It's obvious. It's easy. It's cheap... What the world needs to know is this, that it's possible for a man to walk with God, even in this evil world as it is today."

He argues that Christians cannot function properly in an evil world unless they have the assurance of their relationship with God. The church's primary task is not to condemn those outside but "to show and to manifest this other way." According to Lloyd-Jones, "The need of the hour is a church filled with men and women like Enoch, who walk with God. That's the way to reform the church and the world."

Examples like Enoch show that believers can live triumphantly even amid widespread corruption, standing as "lights in the heavens" and showing "a better way, a more glorious way." These biblical examples give assurance to believers that they too can walk with God and please Him, regardless of the moral condition of the surrounding culture.

What happens when a Christian sins while walking with God, according to the sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses this important question by explaining that even while walking with God, Christians may "inadvertently fall into sin." When this happens, the true believer isn't indifferent but is "grieved" and "heartbroken." Lloyd-Jones asks his listeners, "Do you heal yourselves lightly when you fall into sin, my friends? Or does it grieve you that you've sinned against this God who so loved you as to send his only son to die for you?"

However, the Christian doesn't remain in this state of grief. Lloyd-Jones explains that the believer doesn't say, "I've ceased to be a Christian. I might as well give up." Instead, drawing from 1 John 1:7-9, he explains that the Christian confesses the sin, believes God's promise of forgiveness and cleansing, and continues walking with God: "He doesn't say, I've ceased to be a Christian. I might as well give up. He says no, I'll go back to him. I'll go to my father. And he confesses it. And he accepts and believes that he's completely forgiven and cleansed anew and afresh. And he gets up and he goes on walking with God in the light."