Lent is not biblical?

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👀 Notice I didn't say "fasting" is unbiblical, but that Lent is unbiblical. Lent was instituted as a tradition, by religious men, many centuries after Christ.  THE HISTORY IS TOWARDS THE END OF THIS BLOG.

🤓 If we look at what Jesus teaches about fasting, Lent would likely be considered "old wineskin". It's an ancient religious practice. It's not new.

In Matthew 9:14-17, related to fasting, Jesus said to consider wineskins. Old wineskins is a picture he gave for old covenant laws of God. So, for modern application, we can reasonably qualify Lent as old teaching. He said not to put new wine into old wineskins, because it would cause the skins to burst.

But for the now, what if we applied the reverse, which would also be true. What happens when you put old wine into new wineskin?

When you put old wine into new wineskins, what happens? Nothing. The wine has already fermented, so the new wineskin will not be stretched and matured by old wine. The old wine will do nothing except stain the new wineskin.

The old way of saying "Hey God look at me, look how I try really hard to deny myself and please you..." is dead works. According to scripture, Christians who try to be good enough, and to show others how righteous they are to follow religious traditions, place themselves in dangerous territory.

Galatians 3:10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

What this means is that Christ met all the standards on your behalf. He redeemed us from the curse of trying to be good enough.

And by the way, He already fasted 40 days for you, Matthew 4:1-11. He did it. He never commanded you to do it. He calls you to rest in His finished work-

John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

So you who started out by the Spirit, through Christ who made you new, are you now attempting to finish in the flesh?

Galatians 3:3- Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 

Here is more information related to the history of Lent...

Lent is an act of the flesh instituted by man. It is about following rules. Following rules will only frustrate you.

You will be obsessing about your inability to complete the fast. That is why "the Sunday rule" was added. I just learned that according to Lent rules, the 40 day fast can be broken on Sunday. So stuff your face on Sunday, but then pick right back up for denial on Monday.

Colossians 2: 20If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations: 21“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”? 22These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

But religious men adjusted the rules to appease the weakness of the flesh. So go ahead and break the 40-day fast every Sunday. What?

You WERE NOT meant to fast for 40 straight days every year as a RULE TO FOLLOW. Anyone who fasts for 40 straight days had better hear clear direction and call from Jesus. It would be a personal thing, not a call for all Christians at a prescribed beginning and ending every year.

Calling believers to a 40 day fast is false teaching.
The annual tradition and scheduled "old wine" of human effort "in the Name of God" will only sit in your "belly". It won't change you. It will only leave a stain on new wineskin, a stain for others to see. It will leave a stain that is hard to get out.

Jeremiah 2:22-
Although you wash yourself with soap and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me,” declares the Sovereign Lord.

In Latin, Lent means 40.

The Lenten fast was mentioned as a new tradition around the Council of Nicaea in 325AD.

The 40 days of fasting was to be in preparation for celebrating Christ's death and resurrection.

Urged observance came through Pope Athanasius around 330AD. He urges a 40-day fast observance in 3 different Paschal letters he wrote to "his flock" across the world. In a letter from 339AD, he decides that "he who neglects to observe the fast of forty days, as one who rashly and impurely treads on holy things, cannot celebrate the Easter festival."

Do you see it?

According to this man, if believers do not observe the 40 day fast, believers are judged as treading on holy things? Believers cannot celebrate the Easter festival?

Is that what Jesus taught?

Yes, Jesus said, "When you fast..." But there is no mention of 40 days. The fast he mentions is private-
Matthew 6:16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

As already mentioned, related to fasting, He also taught that it would be a disaster to put new wine in old wineskins.

Matthew 9: 16“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Old wineskins have already expanded and contracted through a prior ferment of grape juice. As fresh grape juice ferments, it releases gases. A fresh batch of grape juice for wine production needs to be held by a new wineskin. The new wineskin can stretch and expand under pressure and time. But to use new wine in an old wineskin would be disaster. As Jesus says, the skins will burst.

As a believer in Christ, He made you new, 2 Corinthians 5:17- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

You only overcome your flesh with the help of the Holy Spirit-
Romans 8:13- 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

By the Spirit, you put to death the misdeeds of the body… by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body… by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body…

Do you know how to apply that?

“Lord Jesus, I am weak. My flesh is weak. Father God, I need supernatural strength. Lord, I can’t live your way without the help of the Spirit. Forgive me for lying to myself and others whenever I have postured that I have it all together. I don’t. I don’t want to do life in my power. I want the new way. I want the new wine. I want to come to the end of self-reliance. I can’t do it. Change me. Transform me. Help me Lord. Amen.”

Pour that new wine into His presence. Carve out time with Him. Let your confessions be new! He will fill you with fresh filling of His Spirit that will stretch and mature you in His power, and not your own!  PREPARE FOR HIS COMING ALL THE TIME! Blessings!

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