Behold Christ In The Scriptures
Contemplate Christ's Perfection; Not Man's Imperfection
The Preciousness of Christ To His Followers
Behold The Closing Scenes Of Christ's Life
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) 18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
"It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day reviewing the life of Christ from the manger to Calvary. We should take it point by point and let the imagination vividly grasp each scene, especially the closing ones of His earthly life. By thus contemplating His teachings and sufferings, and the infinite sacrifice made by Him for the redemption of the race, we may strengthen our faith, quicken our love, and become more deeply imbued with the spirit which sustained our Saviour. If we would be saved at last we must all learn the lesson of penitence and faith at the foot of the cross. Christ suffered humiliation to save us from everlasting disgrace. He consented to have scorn, mockery, and abuse fall upon Him in order to shield us. It was our transgression that gathered the veil of darkness about His divine soul and extorted the cry from Him, as of one smitten and forsaken of God. He bore our sorrows; He was put to grief for our sins. He made Himself an offering for sin, that we might be justified before God through Him. Everything noble and generous in man will respond to the contemplation of Christ upon the cross." {4T 374.1}
Among the more important things to consider in the Christian life is the power that comes in "beholding." We become changed into the likeness of the things we "behold." "Beholding" good things is very positive, and causes us to become like the positive thing(s) we are beholding; "beholding" bad and evil things, we become like those bad things. I am not sure most of us realize to what degree we are influenced, either for good or for bad, by the things we "behold"!
There is much to "behold" in life. There are many good things: the life of Christ and other godly characters in the Bible, the beauty of nature, etc. There are bad things: pornography, novels, etc. Then there are things in the "grey" area in between: not necessarily bad, but not necessarily good.
There are different forms of viewing as well: what we see with our eyes; that which we view with digital devices; that which we are forced to view, even if passively and unwillingly, as we are confronted by advertising on the Internet, magazines at the checkout lines of stores, and the billboards and other ways that Satan seeks to gain our attention in the things going on in daily life in our neighborhoods.
Modern society allows viewing in virtually any location of the planet through the Internet—granted access in some areas would be via satellite devices and would accordingly be prohibitively expensive for most people.
The ability to visit millions of sites on the Internet—some good, some not so good, and some terribly evil; the opportunity to develop new "friends" around the globe and stay in touch with friends from the past; the desire to seek and achieve increasing numbers of "likes" on social media; the exciting quest for ever-increasing rewards with digital games that can be played twenty-four hours per day; watching YouTube videos at any hour of the day or night; to say nothing of the secretive nature of the Internet, can bring an engagement and addiction that is even more enslaving than cocaine or heroin. Everyone with a digital device is presented with previously unimagined opportunities for good or for evil!
The news is also an addictive area of "beholding" for many people. So much of modern society is lived in the gutter, in terms of language and actions, that just reading the news contaminates one's mind.
Another area of often overlooked "beholding" is the sin and shortcomings of Christian people around us, and, sadly, controversies in the church. We seem to be born with a natural tendency to focus on the errors, mistakes, and possible scandals—real and otherwise. This "beholding" also impacts us?
With negative "beholding" comes potential emotional depletion—not necessarily recognized, and emotional overload—sometimes seemingly real though superficial, that makes it hard to have the time or emotional capacity to have normal deep relations with others or God.
With negative "beholding" comes a soiling of the mind that is not easily cleansed.
Negative "beholding" also tends to eat up inordinate amounts of time that could be put to better use.
So how should we circumnavigate through modern society? Naively? Unaware?
When it comes to things like the news, should we ignore what is going on and put our heads in the sand? Is it okay to not be conversant on the latest issues in society, politics—even in the church?
How does all of this impact our relationship with Christ? What should we be "beholding" if we want to have a close relationship with Christ?
We learn about "beholding" from various stories and individual verses in the Scriptures. We especially learn about "beholding" in the life of Enoch, with added commentary from the writings of Ellen White. Ellen White also makes other important statements on the subject, both regarding the value of focusing on Christ, and the very real need to turn away from the many things that will negatively impact our walk with Christ.
Ellen White clearly states that we should be keeping our eyes on Christ and positive virtuous things, regardless of what is going on. She also says focusing on negative things—the faults and shortcomings of others, for example—will bring the same negative things in the life of the one beholding them. She wasn't a fan of secular distractions either: she spoke of throwing out newspapers and novels. That doesn't mean we should be naively unaware of what is going on, but we should be primarily beholding in large doses the things that are good.
Accordingly, on this page I want to share some instructive resources on "beholding"—both positive and negative. Please understand that these thoughts are shared in the desire to assist those reading achieve Enoch-like experiences in modern society. I believe we are called to a "narrow way" even in the things we read and behold. The articles and quotations selected provide helpful insights.
I hope what you read will be a blessing.—Dan
Enoch is one of my favorite people in the Bible and provides much imitate even though there are only a few verses on his life. I think he is especially appropriate to consider when we think about what it means to live in the last days. Learn more about Enoch on this page.
"Tell every one how dangerous it is to neglect his own soul’s eternal healthfulness by looking upon the diseased souls of others, by talking upon the uncomeliness of character found in those who profess the name of Christ. The soul does not become more and more like Christ by beholding evil, but like the evil which it beholds. The same love of self, the same indulgence of self, the same hastiness of spirit, the same petulance of temper, the same sensitiveness and pride of opinion, the same unwillingness to receive counsel, the same unsanctified, independent judgment, will be manifest in those who criticise as in those whom they criticise." Taken from Review and Herald, August 15, 1893, par. 4
"If we gaze even a moment upon the sun in its meridian glory, when we turn away our eyes, the image of the sun will appear in everything upon which we look. Thus it is when we behold Jesus; everything we look upon reflects His image, the Sun of Righteousness. We cannot see anything else, or talk of anything else. His image is imprinted upon the eye of the soul and affects every portion of our daily life, softening and subduing our whole nature. By beholding, we are conformed to the divine similitude, even the likeness of Christ." Taken from Testimonies to Ministers, 387-389
"By beholding, by “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” we become changed into the same image. We cannot imitate the life of Christ while we are looking away from him; we must do it by dwelling upon and talking of him, by seeking to refine the taste and elevate the character, by trying through earnest, persevering effort, through faith and love, to approach the perfect Pattern. The attention being fixed upon Christ, his image, pure and spotless, becomes enshrined in the heart as “the chiefest among ten thousand and the one altogether lovely.” Even unconsciously we imitate that with which we are familiar; and by gaining a knowledge of Christ, of his words, his habits, his lessons of instruction, and by imitating the virtues of the character we have so closely studied, we become imbued with the spirit of the Master, which we have so much admired." Taken from Signs of the Times, June 10, 1886, par. 2
"Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.” This is the privilege of all God’s people. The promise is not for a favored few. Jesus lives, my brother. He will go with you over the broad waters. Your faith will be tried; but you must believe, believe, believe. Cling to the arm of infinite power. God’s hand will hold you more firmly than you can hold to Him. While you trust in Him, He will never let you go or leave you to perish." Taken from Manuscript Releases, Vol. 15, 267.3
"It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day reviewing the life of Christ from the manger to Calvary. We should take it point by point and let the imagination vividly grasp each scene, especially the closing ones of His earthly life. By thus contemplating His teachings and sufferings, and the infinite sacrifice made by Him for the redemption of the race, we may strengthen our faith, quicken our love, and become more deeply imbued with the spirit which sustained our Saviour. If we would be saved at last we must all learn the lesson of penitence and faith at the foot of the cross. Christ suffered humiliation to save us from everlasting disgrace. He consented to have scorn, mockery, and abuse fall upon Him in order to shield us. It was our transgression that gathered the veil of darkness about His divine soul and extorted the cry from Him, as of one smitten and forsaken of God. He bore our sorrows; He was put to grief for our sins. He made Himself an offering for sin, that we might be justified before God through Him. Everything noble and generous in man will respond to the contemplation of Christ upon the cross." Taken from Testimonies, Vol. 4, 374.1
What do the following Scriptures and quotes say about the blessings that come in beholding Christ?
Philippians 4:8 (KJV) 8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV) 6 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
1 John 3:2-3 (KJV) 2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
Isaiah 45:22 (NKJV) 22 “Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."
Exodus 33:17-19 (NKJV) 17 "So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” 18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” 19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
"As the mind dwells upon Christ, the character is molded after the divine similitude. The thoughts are pervaded with a sense of His goodness, His love. We contemplate His character, and thus He is in all our thoughts. His love encloses us. If we gaze even a moment upon the sun in its meridian glory, when we turn away our eyes, the image of the sun will appear in everything upon which we look. Thus it is when we behold Jesus; everything we look upon reflects His image, the Sun of Righteousness. We cannot see anything else, or talk of anything else. His image is imprinted upon the eye of the soul and affects every portion of our daily life, softening and subduing our whole nature. By beholding, we are conformed to the divine similitude, even the likeness of Christ. To all with whom we associate we reflect the bright and cheerful beams of His righteousness. We have become transformed in character; for heart, soul, mind, are irradiated by the reflection of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Here again there is the realization of a personal, living influence dwelling in our hearts by faith." { TM 388.2}
"He who drinks from the water of the fountain of life, will be filled with the new wine of the kingdom. Faith in Christ will be the means whereby the right spirit and motive will actuate the believer, and all goodness and heavenly-mindedness will proceed from him who looks unto Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith. Look up to God, look not to men. God is your heavenly Father who is willing patiently to bear with your infirmities, and to forgive and heal them. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." By beholding Christ, you will become changed, until you will hate your former pride, your former vanity and self-esteem, your self-righteousness and unbelief. You will cast these sins aside as a worthless burden, and walk humbly, meekly, trustfully, before God. You will practice love, patience, gentleness, goodness, mercy, and every grace that dwells in the child of God, and will at last find a place among the sanctified and holy." {1888 1226.2}
"The theme that attracts the heart of the sinner is Christ, and him crucified. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus stands revealed to the world in unparalleled love. Present him thus to the hungering multitudes, and the light of his love will win men from darkness to light, from transgression to obedience and true holiness. Beholding Jesus upon the cross of Calvary arouses the conscience to the heinous character of sin as nothing else can do. It was sin that caused the death of God's dear Son, and sin is the transgression of the law. On him was laid the iniquities of us all. The sinner then consents unto the law that it is good; for he realizes that it condemns his evil deeds, while he magnifies the matchless love of God in providing for him salvation through the imputed righteousness of Him who knew no sin, in whose mouth there was found no guile." {1888 1074.1}
"It is because there is so little communion with God, that spiritual life is so feeble, and the efforts of our workers meet with so little success. Our natures must be raised from their earthliness; they must be kindled and purified in the upper brightness of God’s divine presence. Why are we so easily satisfied with little flashes of light, when there is a heaven of illumination for us? We drink at shallow streams, when there is a great fountain just above us, if we will only rise a little higher in the pathway of faith. – {HM November 1, 1890 Par. 11} It is by beholding Christ, through faith, that we are to be changed into his likeness. As we meditate upon the perfection of his character, we shall desire to become wholly transformed and renewed in the image of his purity. There will be a hungering and thirsting of soul to be made like him whom we adore. The more our thoughts are upon Christ, the more we shall speak of him to others, and represent him to the world. We shall represent him in our words, in our love for the brethren, in our deep, earnest love for the souls for whom Christ died. – {HM November 1, 1890 Par. 12} We need to study the Bible more, that our minds may dwell upon the infinite sacrifice of Christ, and his mediation in our behalf. Let not Christ’s words and the words of some finite being, bear with equal weight upon you. Fill the whole heart with the words of God. They are the living water, quenching your burning thirst. They are the living bread from heaven. Of this bread you must eat, and you will gain in spirituality and power, ever growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." {HM November 1, 1890 Par. 13}
"Talk as Christ talked; work as Christ worked. We must look to Christ and live. Catching sight of His loveliness, we long to practice the virtues and righteousness of Christ. It is by beholding Christ that we become changed into His image, and by renouncing self, giving our hearts up wholly to Jesus for His Spirit to refine, ennoble and elevate, we will be in close connection with the future world, bathed in the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness. We rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Then we are commanded to go in to other cities and towns and tell them the good news with hearts all aglow with divine love, even to them that are afar off, even as many as the Lord your God shall call." {4MR 310.3}
“If fathers and mothers love the Bible, and talk of the lessons Christ has given; if they love Jesus, and make him the theme of conversation, a heavenly atmosphere will pervade the home. As the wax receives the impress of the seal, so the soul will receive and retain the moral image of God. By beholding, we become changed. If we allow the mind to dwell upon the imperfections and moral deformities of others, we ourselves shall become depraved in character, and mentally one-sided and unbalanced. But if the mind dwells upon the perfect life of Christ, and the thoughts and conversation are centered upon him, we shall be changed to the same image.” {ST May 4, 1888, par. 10}
Matthew 7:12 (NKJV) 12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
What do the following Scriptures and Quotations say about the effects of beholding negative things?
Job 31:1 (KJV) 1 "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?"
Psalms 119:37 (KJV) 37 "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way."
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (KJV) 21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil."
Romans 13:14 (NKJV) 14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV) 3 "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
Romans 12:18 (KJV) 18 "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
Romans 12:10 (KJV) 10 "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another."
Matthew 7:1-5 (NKJV) 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
"Do not keep your mind fixed on the defective example of professing Christians. You will, of course, see in their lives things that are not right. But if you keep looking at their faults, you will become like them. Instead of looking at the lives of your fellow men, look to Jesus. There you will see no imperfection, but perfection, righteousness, goodness, mercy, and truth. Take the Saviour as your example in all things. In looking to men instead of beholding Christ, you have made a great mistake."—Letter written in 1903. {Ms87-1906.3}
"Many fix their eyes upon the terrible wickedness existing around them, the apostasy and weakness on every side, and they talk of these things until their hearts are filled with sadness and doubt. They keep uppermost before the mind the masterly working of the archdeceiver and dwell upon the discouraging features of their experience, while they seem to lose sight of the heavenly Father’s power and His matchless love. All this is as Satan would have it. It is a mistake to think of the enemy of righteousness as clothed with so great power, when we dwell so little upon the love of God and His might. We must talk of the mightiness of Christ. We are utterly powerless to rescue ourselves from the grasp of Satan; but God has appointed a way of escape. The Son of the Highest has strength to fight the battle for us, and “through Him that loved us” we may come off “more than conquerors.” { CCh 79.3}
There is no spiritual strength for us in constantly brooding over our weakness and backslidings, and bemoaning the power of Satan. This great truth must be established as a living principle in our minds and hearts—the efficacy of the offering made for us; that God can and does save to the uttermost all who come unto Him complying with the conditions specified in His word. Our work is to place our will on the side of God’s will. Then, through the blood of the atonement, we become partakers of the divine nature; through Christ we are children of God, and we have the assurance that God loves us even as He loved His Son. We are one with Jesus. We walk where Christ leads the way; He has power to dispel the dark shadows which Satan casts across our path; and, in place of darkness and discouragement, the sunlight of His glory shines into our hearts. { CCh 79.4}
Brethren and sisters, it is by beholding that we become changed. By dwelling upon the love of God and our Saviour, by contemplating the perfection of the divine character and claiming the righteousness of Christ as ours by faith, we are to be transformed into the same image. Then let us not gather together all the unpleasant pictures—the iniquities and corruptions and disappointments, the evidences of Satan’s power—to hang in the halls of our memory, to talk over and mourn over until our souls are filled with discouragement. A discouraged soul is a body of darkness, not only failing himself to receive the light of God, but shutting it away from others. Satan loves to see the effect of the pictures of his triumphs, making human beings faithless and disheartened."89 { CCh 80.1}
"How much sweet peace we lose because we keep poring over the disagreeable items in ourselves and in our brethren. We must look away from the disagreeable to Jesus. We must love Him more, obtain more of His attractive beauty and grace of character, and cease filling the mind with the contemplation of others’ mistakes and others’ errors. No one is perfect but Jesus. Think of Him and be charmed away from yourself and from every disagreeable thing; for beholding our defects faith is weakened. Faith in God and His promises is lost sight of." { 15MR 146.2 }
"When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the source of strength and life. Hence it is Satan’s constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ. The pleasures of the world, life’s cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections—to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ he hopes to gain the victory. We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you." {SC 71.2}
"Oh, how I wish that we would honor Christ by realizing what he wants to do for us, and taking him at his word. If we would do this, we should be sunshiny Christians. By beholding Christ, we would be changed into his likeness. But we shall never grow in grace by beholding the faults and mistakes and defects of someone else. Instead, we will become spiritually dwarfed and enfeebled. Let us keep looking to Christ, thinking of what he has done for us and of what he has promised to do. Thus we shall be changed into his likeness. This is true religion. In the future we shall have to contend with difficulties tenfold greater than any we have yet had. Do you ask why I say this? Do you not realize that his time is short? He is working and planning with intensity of effort to place obstacles in the way of God’s people, and to hinder their progress. We have the powers of darkness to meet. At this time, more than ever before, willing, unquestioning, obedience is needed, if we come off conquerors." { PC 318.4 }
"Earnest workers have no time to dwell upon the defects of others. They behold the Saviour, and by beholding become changed into His likeness. He is the One whose example we are to follow in our character-building. In His life upon the earth He plainly revealed the divine nature. We should strive to be perfect in our sphere, as He was perfect in His sphere. No longer are the members of the church to remain unconcerned in regard to the formation of right characters. Placing themselves under the molding influence of the Holy Spirit, they are to form characters that are a reflection of the divine character." { PH151 46.3 }
"Slipshod religion is a dangerous thing, in the home or in the church; and to educate the mind to look for defects in others unfits the soul for communion with God. This is the leaven of evil. The very act of looking for evil in others develops defects in those who look. These would be alarmed could they see the facts that are registered against them in the books of heaven. The man with the beam in his own eye thinks he has discovered a mote in his brother’s eye. But the very discovery of the mote is the sign of the beam. Christ says to us: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” { YI September 21, 1899, par. 7 }
"Do not come at your brethren to pick at their faults, to make a drive at their peculiar traits of character. Educate them to better habits, and better traits, by the power of your own example. If you make it evident that you have come to correct them, you will only arouse their combativeness, and do more harm than if you had not come at all. Reveal Jesus to them, that they may behold him and become like him. If you cultivate fault-finding, and take it upon yourself to correct your brethren, you will soon have no other religion save that of picking flaws and finding defects. You cannot benefit the sinner by coming to him in your own way and in your own strength. Christ alone can save him." { ST July 1, 1889, par. 9 }
“Everything that can be done should be done to place ourselves and our children where we shall not see the iniquity that is practiced in the world. We should carefully guard the sight of our eyes and the hearing of our ears so that these awful things shall not enter our minds. When the daily newspaper comes into the house, I feel as if I want to hide it, that the ridiculous, sensational things in it may not be seen. It seems as if the enemy is at the foundation of the publishing of many things that appear in newspapers. Every sinful thing that can be found is uncovered and laid bare before the world.” Adventist Home, 403.4
“Parents should endeavor to keep out of the home every influence that is not productive of good. In this matter some parents have much to learn. To those who feel free to read story magazines and novels I would say: You are sowing seed the harvest of which you will not care to garner. From such reading there is no spiritual strength to be gained. Rather it destroys love for the pure truth of the word. Through the agency of novels and story magazines, Satan is working to fill with unreal and trivial thoughts minds that should be diligently studying the word of God. Thus he is robbing thousands upon thousands of the time and energy and self-discipline demanded by the stern problems of life.” Adventist Home, 411.1
“Fasten your eyes upon Jesus, dear friends, and by beholding you will become assimilated to his image. Do not allow your thoughts to dwell continually upon things of the earth, but place them upon things that are heavenly, and then, wherever you are, you will be a light to the world.” Signs of the Times, October 20, 1887, par. 1
Genesis 5:22, 24 (NKJV) 22 “After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years.… 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
“[A]fter the birth of his first son, Enoch reached a higher experience; he was drawn into a closer relationship with God. … [A]s he saw the child’s love for its father, its simple trust in his protection; as he felt the deep, yearning tenderness of his own heart for that first-born son, he learned a precious lesson of the wonderful love of God to men in the gift of His Son, and the confidence which the children of God may repose in their heavenly Father. The infinite, unfathomable love of God through Christ became the subject of his meditations day and night; and with all the fervor of his soul he sought to reveal that love to the people among whom he dwelt.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 84.3
“It was in looking in faith to Jesus, in asking of Him, in believing that every word spoken would be verified, that Enoch walked with God. He kept close by the side of God, obeying His every word. . . . His was a wonderful life of oneness. Christ was his Companion. He was in intimate fellowship with God.” Manuscript 11, 1898
“We read that he walked with God. He studied the character of God to a purpose. He did not mark out his own course, or set up his own will, as if he thought himself fully qualified to manage matters. He strove to conform himself to the divine likeness.” Letter 169, 1903
Jude 1:14-15 (NKJV) 14 “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied….”
“Enoch faithfully rehearsed to the people all that had been revealed to him by the spirit of prophecy. Some believed his words, and turned from their wickedness to fear and worship God. Such often sought Enoch in his places of retreat, and he instructed them, and prayed for them.…” Signs of the Times, February 20, 1879, par. 6
“He did not make his abode with the wicked. … He placed himself and his family where the atmosphere would be as pure as possible. Then at times he went forth to the inhabitants of the world with his God-given message. Every visit he made to the world was painful to him. He saw and understood something of the leprosy of sin. After proclaiming his message, he always took back with him to his place of retirement some who had received the warning.” Manuscript 42, 1900.10
““[Believers] often sought Enoch in his places of retreat, and he instructed them, and prayed for them that God would give them a knowledge of his will. He finally chose certain periods for retirement, and would not suffer the people to find him, for they interrupted his holy meditations and communion with God. He did not exclude himself at all times from the society of those who loved him and listened to his words of wisdom; neither did he separate himself wholly from the corrupt. He met with the righteous and the wicked at stated times. He would remain with them as long as he could benefit them by his godly conversation and holy example, and then would withdraw himself for a season from all society—from the just, the scoffing and idolatrous, to remain in solitude, hungering and thirsting for communion with God, and that divine knowledge which he alone could give him.” Signs of the Times, February 20, 1879, par. 6
Amos 3:3 (NKJV) 3 “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”
“In the midst of a life of active labor, Enoch steadfastly maintained his communion with God. The greater and more pressing his labors, the more constant and earnest were his prayers. After remaining for a time among the people laboring to benefit them by instruction and example, he would withdraw, to spend a season in solitude, hungering and thirsting for that divine knowledge which God alone can impart.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 86, 87
"Enoch continued to grow more heavenly while communing with God. His face was radiant with a holy light which would remain upon his countenance while instructing those who would hear his words of wisdom. His dignified appearance struck the people with awe." {ST February 20, 1879, par. 7}
“His feet were always directed in the path of obedience to God’s commandments. Constantly his meditations were upon the goodness, the perfection, the loveliness, of the divine character. His conversation was upon heavenly things; he trained his mind to run in this channel. As he looked to Jesus, he became changed into the glorious image of his Lord, and his countenance was lighted up with the glory that shines from the face of Christ.” Signs of the Times, October 12, 1904
“And how did Enoch walk with God? He educated his mind and heart to ever feel that he was in the presence of God, and when in perplexity his prayers would ascend to God to keep him. He refused to take any course that would offend His God.” Sermon and Talks, Vol. 1, 32
Hebrews 11:6 “He had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
"The Lord loved Enoch, because he steadfastly followed him, and abhorred iniquity, and earnestly sought a more perfect knowledge of his will, that he might perform it. He yearned to unite himself still more closely to God, whom he feared, reverenced, and adored.” Signs of the Times, February 20, 1879, par. 7
“The society surrounding him was no more friendly to righteousness than is the society surrounding us at the present time. The atmosphere he breathed was tainted with sin and corruption, the same as ours; yet he was unsullied [uncontaminated—spotless and without flaw] with the prevailing sins of the age in which he lived. And so may we remain as pure and uncorrupted as did the faithful Enoch.” Review and Herald, August 23, 1881, par. 5
“Enoch represents those who shall remain upon the earth and be translated to Heaven without seeing death.” Review and Herald, April 19, 1870, par. 11
“Enoch was holy because he walked with God in God’s way. In him the world had an example of what those will be who, when Christ comes, are caught up in the clouds to meet Him in the air. As Enoch was, so are we to be.” Letter 97, 1902.6
Unless otherwise stated, quotations come from the writings of Mrs. E. G. White.