Author: Texas Gospel

A warning about turning away from the truth

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JEFF TURNER

Hebrews 10:26 may trouble Christians who struggle with sin and fear its warning applies to them. It doesn’t. But understanding why requires knowing who it was written for.

The book of Hebrews addresses Jewish people connected to the early church who had heard and intellectually accepted the gospel but never truly embraced it. They remained loyal to their old religious system. The entire letter urges them toward one thing: stop hesitating and fully trust Christ.

The “sinning” in verse 26 isn’t about everyday failure or moral weakness. It describes a sustained, deliberate rejection of Christ, choosing to turn away from His death and resurrection after knowing what they mean. This matters because Christ’s sacrifice is the only provision for sin that exists. Reject it, and nothing else covers you. What remains is judgment.

This is the warning’s point: the gospel demands more than intellectual agreement. It requires trust and commitment. For the person who has genuinely received Christ, this passage isn’t a threat, it’s a reminder of what’s at stake for those still holding back.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6

Why Jesus Told Mary Not to Hold On

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Mary Magdalene had watched Jesus die. She knew he had done nothing wrong, and yet she stood by as he was killed. That kind of loss leaves a mark that goes deep. So when she saw him again after the resurrection, her reaction was not simply surprise or joy. It was the response of someone who had already lost him once and could not bear the thought of losing him again.

In John 20, Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father.” At first, this seems like a hard thing to say to someone who had been so faithful to him. Other followers touched Jesus after the resurrection without any such warning. Thomas was even invited to reach out and touch his wounds. So why was Mary’s situation different?

The answer lies in what she was actually doing. The word used in the original Greek text points to more than a simple touch. It describes holding on, clinging, refusing to let go. Mary was not merely reaching out to confirm that Jesus was real. She was trying to keep him from leaving.

But holding on was not going to be possible. Jesus had not returned simply to resume life as it had been before. He was on his way back to the Father, and his physical presence among them was coming to an end.

Jesus had promised that after he left, he would send the Holy Spirit. That Spirit would not visit from time to time or appear briefly and then vanish. He would take up a permanent place inside every person who believed. Mary Magdalene, along with every follower who came after her, would carry the presence of Christ within her from that point on.

The Holy Spirit is described as the Spirit of Christ himself. This means that what Mary feared losing, the closeness, the presence, the relationship, would not be gone at all. It would simply change form.

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:9

Freedom in worship and faith

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JEFF TURNER

Some believers have been pressured to control how they practice their faith. They’re told when to fast or how to follow religious routines. It can also involve people trying to judge others based on their religious habits. In response to this kind of pressure, Colossians 2 gives us some direction.

Paul instructs believers not to let others decide for them about matters such as religious festivals, new moon observances, food choices, drink rules, or Sabbath practices. These instructions were meant to protect Christians from being controlled by outside judgment.

Some of the practices being discussed were part of the Jewish law. These rules once helped set the Jewish people apart, but they are not required in the same way for the church today. The ceremonial system has been set aside, and believers are no longer bound to follow those external requirements.

There is also no command in the New Testament that requires fasting as a regular rule for Christians. Even in the Old Testament, only one fast is clearly required. This shows that fasting and similar practices are not meant to be strict rules imposed on everyone.

Because of this change, the early church began meeting on the first day of the week, which is linked to the resurrection. Believers are also free to eat what is available to them. This idea is supported in the book of Acts, where a message is given that removes food restrictions and allows people to eat without those former limits.

The main shift is from external rules to inner faith. In the end, the focus is not on being controlled by outside rules, but on sincere worship that is honest and grounded in truth.

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

A quiet life with purpose

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JEFF TURNER

When people hear the word “aspire,” they often think about strong ambition, success, or gaining influence. It is not common to link that idea with a calm life or staying out of other people’s affairs. Yet in 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul gives a different view. He tells believers to aim for a peaceful life, to focus on their own responsibilities, and to work with their hands.

At first, this may seem like a call to step back or settle for less. However, this instruction is not about ministry work, sharing the gospel, or growing in holiness within the church. Instead, it speaks about daily life in the wider world. It is about how a person lives among others in ordinary situations.

In this setting, believers are called to bring peace rather than conflict. They should avoid creating problems and instead live in a way that supports order and respect. Believers should have clear goals that guide them toward obedience. These goals are not only for church life but also for everyday living. Following God’s instructions in daily actions is a meaningful and necessary aim.

Ambition itself is not wrong. It becomes a problem only when it is centred on self-interest.

In the end, a quiet and steady life, marked by responsibility and peace, is not a weak path. It is a chosen direction that reflects obedience and care in how one lives each day.

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,

Colossians 3:23

The weight of seeing and rejecting truth

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JEFF TURNER

When reading the Gospels, one might imagine what it would have been like to witness the works of Jesus Christ in person. Seeing His miracles with their own eyes may seem like it would make belief easier. Yet the words recorded in Gospel of John 15 give a different perspective. Jesus explained that those who saw His works and still rejected Him carried a deeper level of guilt.

This does not mean that people who had not seen those miracles were free from sin. Every person is born with a sinful nature and continues to commit sin in daily life. The point being made is more specific. Those who witnessed His works and still turned away became guilty of a greater offence, which is the direct rejection of Him.

This rejection is not a small matter. It is one of the most serious sins because it involves turning away from clear truth. When someone fully understands who Christ is and still refuses Him, the weight of that decision is very great.

The teaching found in Hebrews adds to this understanding. It explains that there is a stronger judgment for those who treat the message of Christ with contempt. To know the gospel, to understand it, and then to reject it brings a heavier outcome than ignorance alone.

In this sense, hearing the message carries responsibility. A person who has never heard is still accountable for sin, but the one who has heard clearly and refused faces a more serious judgment.

And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows, but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Luke 12:47–48