What Should I Give Up for Lent?
Posted 3/5/14 by Steve Yoak.
You may feel a bit unprepared or awkward as you hear folks talking about what they’re giving up for LENT this time of year. Curious about this “lent” thing, you may look to you Bible in to investigate what “lent” is. What you find is that the word “lent” appears exactly 5 times in the Bible, and each time it’s talking about LOANING or LENDING something.
i.e. “I LENT you my car, GIVE IT BACK! (and make sure it’s got gas in it!)
As you watch most of your church-going friends solemnly making vows to give up Facebook or Candy Crush Saga for 40 days, (how holy is that?!) you feel like you’re missing something. Since you couldn’t find anything in your Bible about Lent, you pick up a dictionary. From the dictionary, you discover that Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. “What is Ash Wednesday and why should I care?” you ask yourself. Your dictionary continues, “Lent is a time of SACRIFICE for Jesus.” Perplexed, and wondering if you’re supposed to go out and kill a GOAT or something, you read on to find out that the sacrifice you’re supposed to give for this “Lent”( that you can’t find in your Bible) is “fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstaining from meat, and soups and gravies made from meat, for the entire day.”
NO MEAT?!?! That’s a REAL sacrifice for you because you’re an unabashed carnivore of the first order! You find some satisfaction as you read on in the dictionary and see that eating Fish doesn’t count as “meat”, so you’re free to consume as many Filet-O-Fish sandwiches as you want. Horray!! (You’re pretty sure they’re on sale right now too – good timing)
Lent is supposed to be a time of SACRIFICE for Jesus?
The truth of the matter is that extra-Biblical season of Lent teaches exactly the opposite of what the Gospel teaches. Jesus sacrificed for US, not the other way around. We bring nothing to the salvation equation other than faith and trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as complete and sufficient payment for our sins. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” (Gal 3:13) If we know that the Gospel of the Grace of God teaches us to trust no works of our own, (Rom 4:5) isn’t it silly to attempt to perform a sacrifice FOR our Savior who declares that we are “complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Col 2:10) and states “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:32)
“Lent brings me closer to God.”
This is a common rejoinder from nice, religious and well-meaning people who really seem to”Luuvv them some Lent!” This statement is also quite indicative of doctrinal ignorance and a lack of spiritual understanding. This condition is wonderful in that it is quickly cured by the installation of right doctrine and spiritual understanding. If someone has trusted Christ’s complete payment for their sins, they are already as close to God as they can be. One cannot be any closer to God than this: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you..” (1 Cor 6:19) Stating that participation in a pagan religious rite brings one closer to God demonstrates a lack of understanding of what God has clearly revealed about those of us who are members of the Body of Christ. “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones…..This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:30, 32)
“Lent is a time to abstain from meat.”
It’s Biblical that religious people will teach the doctrine of abstaining from meats. You can find the practice described in 1 Tim 4:1-4 ” Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:” It seems so righteous and wonderful to many folks to embrace a season of self-deprivation “for God,” but God’s Word states very simply that this teaching is not only a departure from the faith, but also a “doctrine of devils.” Many Protestant denominations who are aware of this verse replace the practice of abstaining from meat with abstaining from Facebook, TV, or bowling night. It’s quite hypocritical for Protestants to decide not to follow the LETTER of a devlish doctrine, but abide by the SPIRIT of it.
“Lent prepares me to serve God.”
The person who believes this has fallen prey to doctrines taught by hypocritical liars, (1 Tim4:2) God’s Word itself declares what is needful for proper service to God in 2 Tim 3:15 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” Knowing, understanding, and rightly dividing the scriptures is the way one prepares oneself for service to God. Perhaps there would be time for that type of activity if people spent less time focusing their limited time and energies on celebrating pagan religious rites. The right thing to do is to drop Lent and pick up your Bible.
Q. “What should I give up for Lent?” A. You should GIVE UP LENT.
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel … By which also ye are saved, …how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4