A cautionary tale is defined as a tale told in folklore to warn its listener of a danger. Basically, it's a story of something going wrong, a story of what not to do as a warning. The Good News is that salvation comes by faith and faith alone, from start to finish. But just because we put our faith and trust in God at some point, doesn’t mean we are eternally secure. We have to put our faith and trust in God daily because, according to this passage, salvation is conditional. Our trust has to remain in him.