How many felonies must a person commit before they deserve prison?
Any time a felon does not go to prison for their crime they have been shown mercy by someone. A repeat felon cannot pay a big enough fine to buy their way out, they must go to prison, they must pay their debt to society. The repeat felon must be taken off the street for the good of society. History dictates they will commit another crime and it is consider justice for them to be locked up.
The only way they should be allowed on the street again is if their debt has been paid, even then, unless they have changed, they will end up back in prison again.
In God's Justice, we are all felons deserving of "eternal prison". Not a 5-year term, not a 10-year-term - our debt is eternal. To suggest you can pay a "fine" with good works or ritual is religion, and religion, as it has become in our society, is insulting to God. No good works or ritual can pay the debt, in fact, to think it can adds to your list of offenses.
If you want out of the "eternal prison" that awaits you, you must have the debt paid, which you can't do, and you must be changed from the rebellious sinner you've been your entire life, which you also can't do.
In Jesus you get both. He suffered on the Cross where He bore your "felonies" (your sin) to pay your debt. He offers to redeem you with His Blood. For all who trust in this promise and receive His Mercy as a gift, He will put His Spirit within you and you will be a new creature, you will be a new person. The debt is paid and you've been changed, you've been regenerated. You are now free from the "eternal prison" you deserve and instead you will spend eternity with your Redeemer.
Be warned of those that lead you in a prayer and pronounce you saved - this is a lie. Evidence of redemption is regeneration; that simply means you are different, you now live to glorify Christ, not to gratify the flesh; not to earn your way, but from a heart of thankfulness to your King.
Be warned also of those that say, "it is OK to continue in sin, after all, we are covered by Grace." This is what the Word calls, "walking in the flesh", which simply means you prefer the gratification that comes from sin - such as drunkenness, profanity, fornication, pornography, gossip (just to name a few). God's Word is clear, "those who walk by the flesh cannot please God." Living in sin is the clearest example of a person that has neither been redeemed nor regenerated. That is not to say we are perfect, we will not be perfect on this side of Glory - but there is a Godly sorrow and brokenness that comes when we sin. There is a commitment to war against these fleshly desires,