On the surface, after reading Hebrews chapter 10, most would believe if you sin, even once, knowingly after receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you’re out of God’s Kingdom. Not, three strikes and you’re out, but one strike and you’re out! I agonized for years over that chapter myself. I haven’t led a perfect life since being saved, and chances are you haven’t either. Verses 26 and 27 say, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.” It goes on to talk about how those who despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses, and, how much sorer punishment shall he be worthy that has trodden underfoot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of Grace? So it leaves the impression that one sin and you’re finished, doesn’t it? With me it certainly did, and I struggled with how to get back in God’s grace again.
But the Lord gave me some revelation I’d like to share with you. It’s something to shout and praise God about, not something to be sad about. Back in verse 18 it says, “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.” That at first seemed to also shoot us down, that is, until the Lord caused me to understand this, Jesus gave Himself a sacrifice for sin once for all time. It doesn’t need to ever be done again, like in the days of the Old Covenant, where the High Priest entered in once a year into the Holy of Holies with blood, for himself and for the sins of the people. But Jesus entered in once with His own Holy blood, purging our sins forever. All of our sin, past, present, and future.
Verse 26 says if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sin. That’s right. Jesus gave the only sacrifice that can save us. There is no other. Pass it up, and you have no other hope of salvation. But yet, we all sin after being saved. The Apostle Paul spoke of it in Romans 7 about how he knew to do good, but didn’t always do it, and that which he hated, that he did. He asked, Who will save him from this body of death? For in his heart, he agreed the law was right and good. He delighted in the will of God. But he couldn’t always do it. That sounds like you and me, doesn’t it?
Going back to Hebrews 10, it says that a person who despised the law of Moses died without mercy. Despising something means you don’t want anything to do with it. Do you despise God and not want anything to do with Him? NO? Then that verse doesn’t apply to you. If you love God, the sacrifice of Jesus just keeps on giving for you.
 It’s an ongoing thing, to purge your every sin. Grace is not a trampoline, though. It’s more like a safety net under a high wire walker. He doesn’t intend to fall off the wire, but it’s there just in case he does. There isn’t another sacrifice available to us for sin. There doesn’t need to be. The one Jesus made is enough for all time.
I wonder how many people, having received Jesus as Lord and Savior, have fallen back into sin and have thought there is no way back? How many have prayed and prayed for forgiveness and yet felt they weren’t forgiven? The devil always comes to condemn people. But Jesus didn’t come to destroy us, but rather to save us! If you look at 1 John 1:9, that we often use for the “sinner’s prayer”, it says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Who was that written to, sinners who have not yet been saved? NO! It was written to the Church, because God knew we would still be in our fleshly bodies and we would still sin.
There is a difference between an unsaved sinner, and a Christian. An unsaved sinner sins, and likes it. A Christian sins and hates it. As long as we are striving to follow Jesus, if we ask, we are forgiven. And if a Christian backslides, as long as he lives, he can “slide back” and be forgiven. So, if you’ve backslidden, why not pick yourself up out of the pig pen, dust yourself off, cry out to your heavenly Father, and come home! You aren’t “out on your ear”, you’re loved, and your sins have been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus. Why waste another moment of your life under the devil’s condemnation? God isn’t condemning you! He paid the price so you may be saved and walk with Him. Tell the devil that he’s a liar and stop listening to him. Listen to Jesus, the Lover of your soul. Come back home and take your place at the Father’s table. He hasn’t put your plate away, it’s still there and He’s waiting for you. So what are you waiting for? An engraved invitation? OK, here it is: 1 John 1:9. And it has your name written on it. Let’s pray;

Father God in heaven, thank You that I’m not lost, even though I’ve made mistakes. Lord, I’ve been afraid to try to come back home, because I thought you would turn me away. I was wrong. You said You would never leave me or forsake me. I believed the devil’s lies. Not any more! I confess my sins to You, Father, please forgive me and restore me. Thank You, Lord, that the blood of Jesus covers all of my sins. I’m home to stay now. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and help me to walk with You forever, one day at a time. I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.