“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
~ Genesis 5:24

This is the first example of salvation in the Bible.

In Genesis 3, God communicated the Ministry of Jesus for the salvation of mankind and, thereby, the defeat of satan. But Genesis 5:24 (also v.22 and Genesis 6:9) provides the first example/description of what it means to be saved.

To be clear, salvation in Jesus was available before and is available after the calendar time of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Indeed, the Bible gives several examples of godly men who lived and died before Jesus’ incarnation.

Therefore, within that context, this first description of salvation is instructive and reverberates throughout Scripture.

Why is Genesis 5:24 an example of salvation?

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

As 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 clearly shows, the purpose of Jesus’ crucifixion was, and is, reconciliation. To be saved is to be reconciled to God. When sin came into the world, it severed the relationship between God and man. Our spirits died and remained dead generation after generation, thus making fellowship with God impossible without spiritual regeneration, Ephesians 2:1-5.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)

Ephesians 2:1-5

But that quickening comes by consent, both before and after the crucifixion of Christ Jesus (Jeremiah 29:13). In other words, God would quicken (regenerate, enliven) the spirit of anyone who wholly desired to know Him.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

Despite the righteousness of Abel’s sacrifice (Genesis 4:4), the first example of a salvation is Enoch. Enoch “walked with God”; Enoch communed with God. Enoch had a relationship with God, because Enoch was reconciled with God and God had resurrected his spirit.

The essence, the meaning, of salvation is fellowship/relationship with God. We don’t know anything that Enoch did except that he “walked with God”. This is crucial, because, by being silent on (almost) every other aspect of Enoch’s life/activities, The Bible is loudly telling us that fellowship with God is the defining characteristic of salvation.

In other words, every positive, godly, praiseworthy, righteous act in Enoch’s life was a result of “Enoch walked with God”.

This is echoed and crystallized for us in John 15:4-5

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:4-5

It is ONLY our fellowship with God, through Jesus Christ, that allows us to do any good. Anyone who does not “walk with God” i.e., anyone who does not “abide in Christ” cannot accomplish any good. If we hope to do anything good in our lives we must, like Enoch, “walk with God”: we must “abide in Christ”.

Salvation is defined by our relationship with God. Without a relationship with God, our spirits are still dead in trespasses and sin.

In closing, consider that in The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:21-23

Those who were rejected on Jesus’ return, were denied/disavowed on the sole basis of the absence of relationship: “I never knew you”. Jesus didn’t dispute their performance because no performance is acceptable/good unless it comes out of their relationship with God. It is relationship, not performance, that ratifies righteousness.

Enoch teaches us exactly that truth. Our relationship with God defines us as saved versus condemned. Enoch walked with God, and so God took Enoch home to heaven.

Walk with God, He’ll take care of everything else.