What kind of procedure do we follow in reading the bible?  Perhaps the answer is different for different people.  Some will be called to give the Scriptures more intense study than others.  But all of us need to be people of the Scriptures in one way or another.
 

Although Paul was only thinking of the Old Testament when he wrote 2 Timothy 3:16 (perhaps with some sayings of Jesus, and a few New Testament documents added), yet what he says applies to the whole bible.  One way that I like to follow is to read the bible daily in a mixed up order.  My order is:

Genesis, Matthew, Joshua, Romans, Isaiah, Proverbs, Hebrews, Psalms 1-18, Hosea, Psalms 19-25, Joel, Psalms 26-33, 1 Corinthians, Jeremiah, James, Psalms 34-39, Exodus, John, Judges, Song of Songs, Psalms 40-47, Ruth, 1 Peter, Lamentations, Psalms 48-55, Ecclesiastes,  2 Peter, Psalms 56-64, 2 Corinthians, Esther, Daniel, Psalms 65-70,  1 John, Psalms 71-77,  Mark, Ezra, 2 John, Psalms 78-81, Leviticus, 3 John, Jude, Psalms 82-89, 1 Samuel, Galatians, Nehemiah, Psalms 90-104, Ephesians, Psalms 105-108, Luke, Philippians, Ezekiel, 1 Chronicles, Colossians, Psalms 109-118, Numbers, 2 Samuel, 1 Thessalonians, Job, Amos, Psalm 119, 2 Thessalonians, Obadiah, 1 Kings, Jonah, Psalms 120-132, 1 Timothy, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Psalms 133-141, Deuteronomy, Acts, 2 Kings, 2 Timothy, Zephaniah, Haggai, Titus, Zechariah, Malachi, Philemon, 2 Chronicles, Psalms 142-150, Revelation.

Then I start again!  The mixed-up order gives you variety, but eventually you cover the whole bible.  You go at your own pace.
 

We need methods of study. 

Although not everyone is called to be as 'academic' as some are, yet all of us need to use some diligence in becoming equipped with the Scriptures. 

(i) We need to trace out the themes of the bible. 

(ii) We need to grasp hold of entire books of the bible, seeing its sections and divisions.  The various books of the bible each have structure.  They are not just as mass of unrelated verses. They have order and framework within them. 

(iii) We need to ponder in details whole paragraphs of the bible. 

(iv) We need to consider the characters of the bible, the good men and the bad men, the good women, and the bad women. 

(v) We need to study the words used in the bible, especially key terms like 'forgiveness', 'blood', 'righteousness', 'spirit', and so on.  There are dangers in this (since a single word is never a total guide to a certain idea; words have varied meanings). 

(vi)  Then we need to meditate upon the application of what we have learned.    

More than anything else we need to know what it means to be taught by the Holy Spirit as we minutely ponder the words of God.  In such a way we get to be 'competent, thoroughly equipped for every good work' in the kingdom of God.  No Christian worker is equipped if he is not a man or woman of the bible.  A counsellor is not simply an encourager or an amateur psychologist.  He is a man or woman of the bible who knows when and how to counsel others into what he or she knows from the Scriptures.  The preacher has to have a lot to say.  The fire of the Holy Spirit comes down upon true preaching, but there has to be something to come down upon!  The preacher must have a message.  There must be a fullness of material in what he is saying to the people.  The Word and the Spirit always point in the same direction.  God deliver us from barren orthodoxy or dead textualism.  But may God deliver us also from empty-headed-ness where we think the Spirit leads us in directions where the Scriptures do not lead us.   Our message comes not in Word only but also by the Spirit.  Our message comes not in Spirit only but also by the Scriptures.

One good method is to read the bible daily in a mixed up order, as above.  You read it at your own pace.  Slowly when you want to spend time in a small portion, speedily when you perhaps have already recently been reading (or preaching!) this book or you want an overview rather than a detailed study.  It is designed for maximal flexibility.

Can a Christian lose salvation?  What about good works?

An answer to an e-mail

I believe we have to distinguish the different aspects of salvation. First we are given justification-newbirth-sonship.  This is a settled position.  It is a framework.  It is a foundation.  It is being qualified (Colossians 1:13).  It is eternal redemption, not borrowed redemption.  Works do not come into it at all.  We have total assurance of salvation since justification brings with it glorification.  Romans' 'those whom he justified he glorified' does NOT say ''those whom he justified he sanctified, and those whom he sanctified he glorified.'  Neither the beginning nor the end of salvation can be lost.
 

BUT

The middle part of salvation does need to be attended to.  We do need to please God.  It is possible to displease God.  Our works do not come into the FRAMEWORK but our works DO come into achieving something for God, inheriting the promises God wants to give us.  Our works get judged in judgement day.  It is possible to receive a reward; it is possible to 'suffer loss' (1 Corinthians 3).  This is the will of God our sanctification.  We shall be chastised if we neglect this.     

Think of it in terms of a family.  When my children went to study abroad thousands of miles away I would say to them 'This is your home.  It does not matter what you do, this is where you belong.  Even if you do something stupid it will make no difference.  There is nothing you can ever do which will make you lose your position here at home.  If you get into trouble or face anything you cannot handle, make one telephone call and I shall be by your side within 24 hours.  Once an Eaton always an Eaton; this is your home forever unconditionally.  Nothing can make you lose it.'

BUT this did not mean that I did not care how my children behaved at university.  I could still be angry with them if they did something bad; I could still be pleased with them if they did well. 

There is a difference between the FRAMEWORK and what happens WITHIN the framework.

Salvation is given to us as an unlosable framework, a foundation which never has to be rebuilt.  But then WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK we live for God and it does matter how we live.  Both in this life and at the judgement day we can gain reward or lose reward.  The framework is without works - sheer grace plus nothing.  WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK grace trains us to live sober, upright and godly lives and a lot depends on it - but the framework does not depend on how well we do.

In Matthew 24-25 more than one subject is being dealt with.  Both eternal hell and what I might call "temporary hell" (being saved THROUGH fire) is on the agenda in Matthew 25.  Christians will face SOME kind of loss, some kind of judgemental fire — but it is not loss of saved-status.  1 Corinthians 3:15 may be used as an interpretive principle here.  

Hope this helps.