Walking with God: Taken to Heaven and the Possibility of Pleasing God Without Jesus
Throughout the Bible, there are profound examples of individuals who walked with God so intimately that they were taken to heaven without facing physical death. These stories raise important theological questions: Can a person truly be blameless before God? Can someone attain heaven based solely on righteous deeds without Jesus Christ? Let’s explore these ideas through a biblical lens.
1. Biblical Examples of People Who Walked with God and Were Taken to Heaven
a. Enoch – A Man Who Walked with God
Scripture Reference:
“Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” – Genesis 5:24 (NIV)
Enoch is one of the few people in Scripture said to have walked so closely with God that he bypassed death entirely. His life is mentioned briefly but powerfully. The Hebrew word for “walked” (Hebrew: halak) implies a deep, ongoing, personal relationship with God.
New Testament Reference:
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death… For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” – Hebrews 11:5 (NIV)
This shows Enoch pleased God not just by works, but by faith.
b. Elijah – Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire
Scripture Reference:
“As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared… and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” – 2 Kings 2:11 (NIV)
Elijah, a great prophet, was also taken to heaven without dying. His life was marked by obedience, miracles, and fearless confrontation of evil, but like Enoch, his righteousness was rooted in faith and relationship with God.
2. Can Humans Be Blameless Before God by Their Own Actions?
Many Old Testament figures are described as blameless or righteous, but does this mean they were sinless?
a. Noah
Scripture Reference:
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” – Genesis 6:9 (NIV)
Noah found favor in God’s eyes, but this doesn’t suggest he was without sin. His righteousness came from his faith and obedience amidst a corrupt generation.
b. Job
Scripture Reference:
“This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” – Job 1:1 (NIV)
Job’s blamelessness was about moral integrity, not sinless perfection. Later in the book, Job himself acknowledges his limitations before a holy God (Job 42:5-6).
c. King David
David was “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) but also sinned grievously (2 Samuel 11). Yet, he found restoration through repentance, not through good deeds.
Psalm 51:17:
“A broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
3. Is It Possible to Please God Without Jesus Christ?
This question leads us to the central message of the New Testament: that all humanity is inherently sinful and cannot be justified by works alone.
a. All Have Sinned
Romans 3:23:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Isaiah 64:6:
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…”
No matter how righteous someone may appear outwardly, sin affects every person. Righteous deeds cannot cleanse sin.
b. Jesus – The Only Way to the Father
John 14:6:
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
Jesus makes it clear: there is no other way to heaven, regardless of human efforts. This is not to diminish the importance of good works, but to emphasize that salvation comes only through faith in Christ.
c. Salvation by Grace Through Faith
Ephesians 2:8-9:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Faith in Jesus is essential because He took upon Himself the penalty for sin. Without Him, no amount of human righteousness is enough to bridge the gap between God and man.
4. What About People Before Jesus?
Before Christ, people were justified by faith in God’s promises. Their righteousness was credited to them based on their trust in God’s word.
Example: Abraham
Genesis 15:6:
“Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
Paul explains this in Romans 4, highlighting that Abraham was justified by faith, not by works.
Even the Old Testament sacrifices pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus (Hebrews 10:1-10). God’s plan of salvation always centered on faith, culminating in Christ.
Conclusion: Can We Please God Without Jesus?
While some individuals like Enoch and Elijah were taken to heaven and called righteous, their righteousness was not a product of perfect human effort—it was rooted in faith and a personal relationship with God.
In the New Testament era, God has made it clear that Jesus Christ is the only way to be reconciled to Him. No human act or moral life—no matter how blameless—can replace the necessity of the cross.
Acts 4:12:
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Final Thought:
Yes, we are called to walk with God, live righteously, and pursue holiness. But without faith in Jesus, all human efforts fall short. God desires not just outward obedience, but hearts transformed by his grace.
