Being a follower of Christ is not a one-off decision, but multiple.

Let me run a scenario by you. You’ve always wanted to work for BossTops, which requires a high security clearance. If caught lying, you’ll automatically be fired.

You’ve been preparing to work at BossTops your entire life. It’s your dream job. And now, you hired! You’re pumped. There is only one thing left to do: pass training, which you are doing when “it” happens.

On the last day of training, you’re about to handle a service call, when your training officer tells you to wait. While waiting, though, another employee helps that customer.

After the customer leaves, your co-worker asks, “What in the world happened?” Before you can answer, your trainer pipes in, “Oh, he didn’t see the customer come in.” Your trainer threw you under the bus.

You say nothing. Put your head down; and, finish the day. Everything is cool, right? Well, in order to successfully complete training you must meet with BossTops’ owner. During the interview, she asks, “Were you ever put in a compromising situation while on training?”

You’re thinking, “What kind of question is that? Does she know about what my trainer did? If she knows and I lie, I’ll get fired. Maybe this is simply an integrity check. I’ve got to tell the truth.

“But, what if she doesn’t know? The success of BossTops is based on being a team player. And if I don’t have my trainer’s back, who might have just been having a bad day, I’ll never get the best assignments and/or promotions. If this happens, my dream job becomes a nightmare.”

This scenario illustrates Romans 5:3-5. Our hope that knows that it knows where we’ll spend eternity starts in suffering that produces Christ’s character in us.

This process is not a one-time decision for Jesus to be your savior. No, it’s a decision-by-decision process to let Him save you from yourself. Will it be easy? Nope. Can there be consequences? Yup.

It does, however, produce in you the reality that you’ll spend eternity with Jesus in heaven even while your hope is being sorely tested here on earth. By faith, continue to do what Jesus would do. It’s not a cliché, but a life changing truth.