How is sin like a s spider bite?

 

Originally posted on January 1, 2022.

The day before Thanksgiving, my husband and I were in our garage gathering our Christmas and winter decorations.  Our garage has a lot of spiders, but it was cold, and I did not see any at that time, so I did not worry. After accumulating the items, I was determined to find my plush snowman that seemed to be missing.  I went through possibly a dozen boxes looking for him.  Just when I was about to give up, there he was, white with grey sparkling thread, cute carrot nose, and blue striped hat, gloves, and scarf. (Bear with me, I actually have a point to this story!)

About a day or so later, I noticed a white raised spot on my stomach.  It looked like a small pimple, but it felt like a burn.  I put some aloe vera gel on it to heal, then I mostly ignored it. Fast forward to 3 days later and this tiny "zit" had tripled in size, was blackish purple around the wound, had a hard lump underneath, and the whole area around the "pimple" was swollen in at least a 6-inch circumference.  On top of that, the pain was as if someone had lit my entire belly on fire, inside and out. 

Remembering my dear husband, Mel, had a similar experience around 3 years ago, I said, "Do you think this is a spider bite?"  He was sure it was, so I attempted to make a doctor's appointment.  While I was on hold with the clinic where it often takes more than a month to get seen, the receptionist came back on the line and said, "Wow! I can't believe an appointment just opened up while you were on hold. It's a miracle!" Yes, she truly said that!  I was able to see the doctor and get started on some heavy-duty antibiotics right away. God is good! 

The antibiotics caused me a lot of problems and side effects (partly because it exacerbates my neurological disorder), but I knew I had to keep taking them to kill the potentially deadly MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) virus the brown recluse spider had caused. Also, it took another 7 days for the wound to pop and drain, and only then did the pain go away. After that, it healed quickly.

Once a person has MRSA, it can flare up again from time to time, even without the aid of another spider bite. My husband experienced this as a second outbreak right after the first, and a third around a year later.  The doctor he saw for the last outbreak recommend he place an antibiotic ointment up both nostrils once a month to keep all future MRSA infections away.  

Just 3 days ago, I started a second round of the hard-to-take antibiotics, because now I have at least five MRSA boils under my arm! This time I have to take the pills for 14 days instead of 10.  As difficult as the side effects are, the pills are vital to my recovery, so I must take them.   

Now, based on the title of this blog, you may already see where I have been heading with this true story. 

 How is sin like a s spider bite?  

A spider is so small you almost never see it coming.  Statistics say we are almost always a minimum of six feet away from at least one spider.  Just one little puncture from this tiny creature can cause a whole world of pain and illness, and in some extreme cases, even death.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

How easy is it to get caught up in the web of sin?  It may seem so small and insignificant. You may know you are in a dangerous area (such a garage known for spider activity), but instead of being cautious, you keep pressing forward in sin.  You may justify a flirtation with someone not your spouse as harmless.  Next thing you know, you have had an affair and are getting a divorce.  You may think a little marijuana, or a little alcohol is just a harmless way to relax. Next thing you know, you are doing things you never would have done sober, including immoral and illegal acts, and now need a stronger drug to "relax" and cope with the consequences of your actions. Now you have lost your job and are in rehab for meth addiction.  There are hundreds of other illustrations I could give, but I think you get the point I am making here. These examples are not as extreme as they seem, but realistic ways sin can quickly get out of control.  It is better not to play with fire.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Corinthians 6:17-18-7:1

How do we combat the tiny "spiders" in our lives? Just as I did not first recognize the wound in my stomach as a spider bite until it became unbearably painful, we must know our Bible to recognize what sin is. You need to ask the Holy Spirit to help you stay away from all these things. You cannot do it on your own! Here are some examples of things God hates: 

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-20

The virus made me terribly sick, and I had to take medication to keep this sickness from being potentially fatal.  The pills also made me sick, but the difficult cure was worth a week or two of suffering because it saved my life. Repenting and obtaining victory are much less painful than hanging onto sin that causes spiritual death. Emotional pains you may face when you let go of people, objects, and activities in order to save your very soul, will all be worth it in the light of eternity. 

Just as my husband and I must take a monthly preventative to keep us from getting sick again, we must also be proactive in conquering sin. Philippians 2:12 says we must "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling."  It does not say we can lazily sit back and expect sin to take care of itself. Although in some cases deliverance can be instantaneous, realistically we must continually work at keeping habitual sins at bay.  We cannot just ignore the sinful issues in our life and expect them to go away on their own. Just as we cannot ignore any spider seen in our homes. Sorry, spiders, but we must kill all spiders for the sake of good health for us and our loved ones.  

How do we keep sins from accumulating and reemerging like the MRSA virus?  Again, I will say what is most important to remember, you cannot do it on your own!  John 15:4-5, Jesus reminds us, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."   Apart from help from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we are unlikely to have permanent success on our own.  That is why so many addicts return to their vices after claiming victory, because they do not allow Jesus to take control of their life and use His Holy Spirit to fill in the void that addiction has left.  They still feel empty and hopeless even after they have done their best to take control of their sin, but since they are still denying the love of Jesus, the hole in their heart remains and therefore, they return to their sins.

2 Peter 2:21-22 puts it this way, "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."  

Those who have "known the way of righteousness" and then backslidden, is the same concept for those who claim to have gotten rid of sin but still live in rebellion to the Lord.  You are allowing poison to repeatedly permeate your heart and soul until you surrender yourself to Jesus and allow Him to make you clean every single day!

Even when you allow Jesus to take control of your sinful nature, you still must be proactive in battling your temptations.  If your addiction is pornography, get rid of your source of porn (magazines/books, phone, movies, Internet, etc.), just as you would remove the alcohol from your home if you were trying to quit drinking.  If you find yourself perpetually angry and fighting with others, stay off of social media if you feel it will tempt you to lose your temper and displease the Lord.

Remember what 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."  Therefore, you never have an excuse to say you were not able to simply say no and walk away from your sin. Pray for Jesus to give you the strength you lack when you struggle to say no to things that go against His holy Word. 

Just as I had to take two rounds of antibiotics, you also need to take your spiritual medicine to heal.  Read your Bible as often as possible and get to know God as well as through prayer and worship. Do not take anyone else's word for it, read the Bible on your own! The more grounded you are in what the Bible teaches, the more you understand how much God loves you, and you grow to love Him more too, the less likely you want to sin.

The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Romans 2:4 

If you make a mistake and repeat your sins, 1 John 1:9 states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Note the first 5 words, we have to confess our sins first, but God will always forgive us when we are sincere.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Revelation 2:5 says, we must "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."  Again, notice repentance is the key.

Now is the Time to Speak out for Jesus

 

As you can tell by all the unusual events that have been happening for several years now, we are approaching the end of the end of the world as we know it today.   Matthew 24:6-8 lets us know we are currently in a time referred to by Jesus as "The Beginning of Sorrows." 

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:6-8

What this means to us as believers is that we know the tribulation is soon to follow in ten years or probably less, but I will not assume I know for certain when the tribulation will "officially" begin.  It could even be later, but I honestly doubt it. 

First, let me remind you that there will NOT be a rapture of the saints before the tribulation.  I scripturally back up this truth in a video I made, you can watch it at this link if you so choose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAb4dk0pv2M.  However, that does not mean we should panic or give up.  Now is the time to step up our walk with the Lord. We need to seek the Lord as never before. 

Jesus bluntly tells his disciples in Luke 21:26 that in the last days "Men's hearts" will fail "them for fear."  Which is another reason why it is so important to daily be fully clothed in the full armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-18) so that we may guard our hearts and minds against the fear the end of this world is sure to bring.    

Now is the perfect opportunity to reach out to frightened people.  We can show them what peace in the midst of a storm looks like and why we have such hope.  Our calm assurance can lead them to the ultimate peace giver, Jesus Christ.

If you are shy as I am, being bold in the Lord will not be easy.  However, Jesus' last command to his believers in Mark 16:15 was,  "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."  You can teach as I do through the written word or through videos.  However, you choose to spread the gospel, do it with boldness and authority.  Not in your own power, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.  God has given me a boldness speaking out against ungodly forms of entertainment, and the occult as I never thought I could have.  When you humbly and sincerely pray for courage to preach within His will, He will graciously grant you a boldness for the sake of His kingdom.

Now is also not a time to slack in reading your Bible and spending time in prayer.  In fact, now is the time to increase your time with the Lord.  The more you know Him and what His Word says, the better equipped you will be in what to say and should be less likely to  lead others astray with a false message.  While you do not need to be a so-called expert on the Bible, I am absolutely saying you must know what it says on the issues of the free gift of salvation, true grace that comes with repentance, and holy living in order to keep from falling away from your walk with the Lord.  Do not rely on what your pastor tells you since most are only preaching a false gospel to make sure the offering plates are full.  Study on your own and read the words of Jesus Christ and His followers.  Might I suggest the books of James, I Peter, I John, & Jude to start?  And of course read Revelation chapters 2 and 3!

My point today is to encourage all of you to take these end of days seriously.  Now is not the time to be afraid to be bold for the Lord. Being wishy washy or conforming to the world is not doing anyone any favors.  When you fear that your friends and family will call you judgmental and so you stay silent for their sakes, you will lead them away from Heaven, not toward it. Let go of your ego and do not worry if your loved ones reject you.  True love does not keep silent, it warns of the dangers of sin and hell!  Point people to Romans 12:1-2, II Corinthians 6:14-7:1, Ephesians 16:23, and Revelation 20:11-12.  Do not be afraid to remind them what these verses mean. Break it down verse by verse and we can all learn what Jesus expects from us!

Time is shorter than most are ready to admit. So this message to believers today is to speak out for Jesus!  Do not wait until it is too late and we have all gone our separate ways when we are forced into hiding when the Antichrist begins his persecution of the True saints.  We need to speak up now while we still have the freedom to do so.  Now, more than ever is the time to be a light  and a life preserver that leads strangers and loved ones alike to Heaven.  Do not hesitate or procrastinate, because if you wait until tomorrow, it may be too late!

What does it mean to fear the Lord?

A popular spiritual leader posted a few days ago that the fear of the Lord "means having a devoted and loving heart toward Him." Although this is true, according to the Bible, this is an over-simplified interpretation. Yes, we should absolutely love the Lord. it is why we became Christians and what drives our faith.  When we love the Holy Trinity and realize how kind, gracious, and forging God is, "the goodness of God leadeth [us] to repentance" (Romans 2:4). 

However, fearing the Lord is not simply just loving God. It is acknowledging that He holds our eternal fates in His hands.  Hebrews 10:30-31 should be the basis for all decisions we make. 

The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:30-31 

Fearing the Lord means respecting His rules and realizing His love for us is why He put those rules in place to keep us safe, not because He is a cruel bully.  We are not to fear Him as an abusive family member, but because He is the only one who will make the decision on whether or not we will go to Heaven or Hell.  He wishes that none would ever go to Hell ([God] is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9) which is why He requires us to do as He (not man) commands.

When we think of all our choices as being observed by a Holy God, we should be in awe and fear.  It should make us think twice before we pick up a piece of literature or watch a program full of witchcraft, violence, sexual perversions, and outright mock God and all the Bible stands for.   

One of my favorite late preachers, Leonard Ravenhill used to put it this way (I am paraphrasing.), "When we stand before God on judgement day we won't simply say, 'Hey, buddy, thanks for the cross,' we will bow on our faces in fear and trembling."  No matter how defiantly you choose to live your life, or arrogantly claim you don't need God, if you truly picture what Heaven will be like the moment you arrive (I am not speaking of all eternity full of bliss and joy, but just the initial encounter with God) you will realize it will be very frightening as you relive all the sins you refused to repent of and all the rules you intentionally broke.  Because God is unfathomably gracious and merciful, He will not remember those sins you asked His forgiveness for (notice how David uses the same theme of fearing the Lord):

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Psalm 103:11-13

At some point you have probably heard or read from the book of Proverbs that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Proverbs makes it clear that those who refuse to fear God and hate "wisdom and instruction" are "fools" (Proverbs 1:7).  It goes on to say in Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward [not willing to yield or comply with what is required of God] mouth, do I hate. " That one verse alone sums up all I am trying to say.    

Proverbs also goes on to describe the fear of the Lord as finding "the knowledge of God" (2:5), "the knowledge of... holy understanding" (9:10), "a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death" (14:27). "tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil"(19:23).  It also reminds us that we should not "envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long" (23:17). 

God is very loving, gracious, merciful, and forgiving. "We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19). Yes, we can have a close walk and friendship with God, but we must never treat God as a casual as a human friend, but respect Him as our Creator and Judge.

Just a few extra verses to think about:

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Revelation 20:12-13

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.  II Timothy 4:4

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: I Peter 1:14-17

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:7-8

Who are you following?

 

In December 2018 we adopted a six-year-old German Shepherd from the pound. We named him Dresden. In May 2020 we purchased two puppies to keep him company. We named them Sierra and Jubilee. Since day one, the three of them have been a tightly bonded trio, and the puppies took to Dresden as their surrogate father.  For the past three years the "puppies" follow Dresden's examples in deciding when to eat, when to go outside, when to come back in, where they sleep, etc.  This morning, as I watched them imitating their leader's behaviors, the idea for this blog came to me.  I started thinking about how the puppies emulate all Dresden does because of their great love for him and his love, gentleness, and care for them.  They even respect his discipline, and never show anger when he "scolds" them but continue to show him love. The puppies respect Dresden as the leader of their small pack and have never tried to usurp his role as alpha and honor him as their leader. 

How many of us can say the same for the One we claim to be the leader of our souls?  Do we fight for dominance over the will of Jesus and refuse to respect and honor the rules of the Bible? Do we get angry when He tells us we need to change a certain behavior?  Or do we do our best to emulate the person Jesus was (Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile [slyness or deception] found in his mouth. 2 Peter 2:21-22) and strive for holiness for a God that is ever-present (But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16)?

Your primary leaders should be Jesus, God, The Holy Spirit, and the Bible. Yet, it is okay to have human spiritual leaders as well.  That's why God raised up bold and moral people like Paul and Peter from the Bible, the late holiness preachers such as David Wilkerson and Leonard Ravenhill, and current people of faith like my husband, Mel. We need people we can see and hear and be an example to follow and show us the ways to righteousness and encourage us in our walks with the Lord (Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17.).

However, we need to be so very careful who we choose to lead us. While this seems like an obvious statement, too many people fall into the trap of never or rarely opening their Bible, but instead take their pastor's, family members', friends', or even the corrupt Hollywood's words and examples for what the Bible says on issues of sin. This does not make you any less accountable for doing something that goes against the Word of God.  If you have access to a Bible, you have no excuse for not obeying what it says. As any police officer will tell you, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." The below scripture, said by Jesus, says it all.  When you follow the wrong ways of an ignorant or immoral leader, you will follow him/her straight to hell.

They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Matthew 15:14   

I am not so arrogant as to call myself a leader or to say you should follow me, with the one exception when I apply this verse to my life:

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

I am so very far from perfect, but I do my best to follow Christ, so in areas of reading my Bible, trusting God in all circumstances, spending time in prayer and praise, doing my absolute utmost best to follow the rules of Jesus Christ, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me, yes, please follow my example. Again, these are the only areas in my life I would dare claim such a thing. I would like to emphasize, NOT I, BUT CHRIST IN ME!  (I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20) For apart from Jesus, I would be living and walking in darkness! ( Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.John 15:4-5)

I want to encourage you all to be so very, very careful who you imitate. Anyone can say they are followers of Jesus, but if he/she is not a living example of the Bible, they are a liar (He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4). 

Ask yourself these questions to determine if you should be following the person you consider your spiritual leader. Does he/she: watch or read ungodly entertainment, dress provocative, go to bars, get drunk, listen to/dance to worldly music, have no problem with witchcraft/the occult/new age practices, swear, steal, lie, cheat, flirt with someone other than their spouse, bully people, backbite, gossip, love money, have sex outside marriage, look at pornography, take drugs, think homosexuality is acceptable, or abuse people/animals?       

While I write this, I am feeling compelled to tell you to do even better than try to find someone Godly to follow.  Instead, quit being followers and start being the one who leads others to Jesus. Pray the Holy Spirit gives you the courage to be bold and take a stand for the Truth, even when no one listens or follows your example.  Study to know what the Bible says so you can be the light and show others the way and so you never lead them astray. (Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15) 

As always, there is so much more I could say on this subject, but I will leave you with these verses from Ephesians.  If you just read these verses, they should be enough to convince you not to follow the wrong leader, and/or to choose to be the right leader..

 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:1-20

Warn Every one Night and Day with Tears, Part 3

For I know this... grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember... I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20:29-31

Just a quick note before I go any farther that I want to make clear: I do not want anyone to think I am suggesting we are saved by our works. If you read my blogs or watch my videos, you know I believe Jesus' death on the cross, our salvation, and grace are free gifts we do not have to earn. My point here is to encourage you to treat these precious gifts with the utmost care and not neglect them, because they and your soul can be lost. Once again, this is not my theology, it is from God's Holy Word.

One of the most prominent issues I see being taught by many wolves is that we never need to repent of our sins more than one time when we say the "sinner's prayer." They are afraid to convict you of sin less you cease to put money in their offering plate.  However, by teaching you to think you are eternally secure is very dangerous.  These are the exact wolves Jude was speaking of that are turning God's grace into a lie:

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4

I know I have a lot of scriptures below for you to read, but I need to add just one more before I delve further into this blog. Paul is saying we should never use God's precious gift if grace as an excuse to sin (I encourage you to read the full chapter):

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?Romans 6:1-2 

The two scriptures that come to my mind are first, from Jesus' own mouth in Matthew, then from John, who was given visions of heaven. These two passages alone show our thoughts, words, and deeds do matter.

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Matthew 16:27

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Revelation 20:12-13

Next, I will go to the old testament. Ezekiel was a mighty prophet who saw things as far into the future as the end of days of this planet as well as had many visions of God and heaven.  

But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Ezekiel 18:24 & 26

Pretty clear cut, don't you think? A man who heard directly from God tells us when the righteous, or the Christian, turns his back on God and intentionally chooses to sin, he will lose his salvation - die in his sins! This is not speaking of minor offenses, of course, but as Ezekiel says, "abominations," or rebelliously refusing to do what you know is right in the eyes of God.  Just as when we sincerely repent from our sins, they are blotted out by the blood of Jesus (Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Ezekiel 18:27-28), the exact opposite is true. Righteousness is canceled out by sin until we sincerely repent again.   (These same words are repeated in Ezekiel 33 as well.) 

Now let's look at the words of Jesus:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:1-6

According to dictionary.com, The definition of the word abide is "to remain; continue; stay."  Therefore, Jesus is telling us that if we leave our fellowship with Him (cease abiding with Him) we will be "cast forth... into the fire and burned."  Obviously, He is speaking of the fire in Hell. In other words, if you give your life to Christ and become a Christian, but then refuse to follow the ways of Jesus by leaving your morals behind, you are no longer bearing good fruit, and you will be cast away.  Jesus does not say that you can stay grafted into the vine no matter what, and that you will be eternally secure. No! If you make the choice to leave Jesus, you will be cast off!

The more you abide in Jesus: read the Bible, pray more than just when you are asking for a favor, and worship Him with a contrite heart, the more it will be clear what He expects of you.  The more you will understand His character and His will, and you will want to do what is right (...the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Romans 2:4).  The Holy Spirit will convict you of your sins and testify to your spirit what must be done to see the face of God for all eternity (I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1).

Let's go again to the words spoken by Jesus:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23

This is obviously about someone who is calling himself a Christian, otherwise why would he be calling out to the Lord and prophesying, casting out demons, etc. But Jesus says that even if you call on Him and work for Him, you can still be in danger of losing your salvation if you are doing all these things while living in sin.  No, eternal life with Christ is not automatic just because you use the name of Jesus or do good deeds in His name, you must keep the sin out of your life, or He will tell you to "depart from" Him.  In other words, He will send you to Hell.

The next scriptures are speaking of the end times. 

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; II Thessalonians 2:3 

My argument here is a simple one: the term "falling away" would not even be used if falling away from your salvation was not possible.  In other words, before the beginning of the tribulation, a large number of people claiming to be Christians will fall away from their walk with the Lord and lose their salvation. 

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.  II Timothy 4:4; 7-8

There are many more verses I can list where it says in the Bible that all people will be judged according to their works. That Truth alone shows we are not automatically eternally secure.  If so, there would be no reason for God to judge our works.  Finishing the course and keeping the faith means the same as abiding in the vine.  In order to obtain the crown from Jesus, you must not let go of your righteous ways or give in to sin.

Here are a few more verses on obtaining crowns from God, our judge. Note when you read all these verses that they state you must endure to the end in order to receive the crown.  No where does it say the crown of righteousness will be given to every single person that says some version of the sinner's prayer.  There are conditions that must be met! In the below verse, Paul makes it very clear that even he could be cast away from heaven if he falls into sin.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. I Corinthians 9:24-27

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Phillipans 4:1

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. II Timothy 2:5

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12

The message of these verses is clear: stand fast in the Lord, strive lawfully, endure temptation, and you will receive a crown of righteousness.  Stray away from the Lord and holiness, and you will be cast away.

The last verses can be the easiest way to sum up that our salvation is not eternally secure.  Note the list of sinful actions does NOT say, "If you call yourself a Christian you can do all these things and still go to heaven," NO!  It says, if you commit the sins listed, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  There are no exceptions to that rule. You must daily repent of your sins, and strive to be holy as the Lord is holy, or you will not have eternity with the Father - not my words, this is scriptural (see below verses)!   

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: I Peter 1:14-17

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrews 12:14

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:7-8