Vol. 5 No. 12 Apr. 16, 2006

You can’t be saved; you’re not on the schedule!!

Written by Christopher Mentzer

Once again the denominational holiday of Easter is upon us. It’s the culmination of the longer season of Lent. I was always curious as to the purpose of Lent. Growing up in the Lutheran church, all it meant to me was going to church more often; every Wednesday night! Having done some research though, I found out its origins are within the Catholic Church and here’s the purpose of it:

Originating in the fourth century of the church, the season of Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter. Originally, Lent was the time of preparation for those who were to be baptized, a time of concentrated study and prayer before their baptism at the Easter Vigil, the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord early on Easter Sunday. But since these new members were to be received into a living community of Faith, the entire community was called to preparation. Also, this was the time when those who had been separated from the Church would prepare to rejoin the community. (The Season of Lent, Dennis Bratcher. http://www.cresourcei.org/cylent.html)

Notice what is said, “Lent was the time of preparation for those who were to be baptized”. 40 days of study and prayer before you are to be baptized! What happens if the Second Coming of Jesus Christ should occur on the night of the 39^th day? Will they be saved anyway because they were in “the process of being saved”? Of course that’s between God and them. I, personally, would not want to test such a theory.

The Bible gives five simple steps to become saved:

Hear the Word of God (Rom. 10:17)

Believe Jesus is the Son of God (John 8: 24)

Confess Jesus is the Son of God (Rom. 10: 9-10)

Repent of your sins (Acts 2: 38)

Become baptized to wash away your sins (Acts 22:16)

And then once you are saved: Live Faithfully even unto Death (Rev. 2: 9). Do you see the need to go forty days to do these five steps? I think if one has a determination and a willingness to obey the Father, he can do it in one day.

But since Easter is such a “Special Occasion”, they want to make it more meaningful by having all of those who studied to be baptized on the same day. In addition, restore those who have left the church. One shouldn’t have to wait because they aren’t on the Baptism Schedule. Paul said, “…behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6: 2). The time to be saved is NOW!!! Not tomorrow, not later tonight, not after forty days, but now!

Jesus said, “We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (Jn. 9: 4) That “night” is at the end of time when all will be brought before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5: 10). Don’t make your decision on what the church says, but on what Jesus says. Don’t wait too much longer either for we know neither the day or hour of His return (Matt. 24: 36, 44, 50; 25: 13).