I get asked this question more and more. Lent used to be a pretty exclusively Catholic (and some Anglican) ritual. In the past few years more evangelical Christians have begun observing Lent.

Is there anything in the Bible that says you should not observe Lent? NO.

Is there anything in the Bible that says you should observe Lent? No.

It is a part of the Catholic tradition but it isn’t necessarily wrong for a Christian to participate in it. EXCEPT – if you think that you are doing something that gains you favor from God by the doing of it then you are mistaken. By doing without anything that is lawful at lent or any other time – you are not gaining any standing with God towards your salvation. There is nothing wrong with fasting. Jesus commends it and it is to be done in private. There is nothing wrong with disciplining your body by denying yourself something.

If you try to make it mandatory then you are missing what Paul says in Romans 14.

There is NOTHING in the Bible about putting ashes on your forehead.

However, if the observance of Lent helps someone become a more faithful Christian – more convinced of the absolute grace of God – more in love with the gospel that freely makes us right with God based solely on the life and death of Jesus – then there is nothing wrong with it.

Often – these kind of observances become an end in themselves and not a pointer to the all sufficient, compassionate, loving, holy Savior – the Lord Jesus. Glory in Him!