CINOs and the Rapture

Christians in Name Only (CINOs) and the Reality of Being Left Behind:

The most sobering concern is not for open unbelievers, but for those who are Christians in name only, people who assume proximity to faith is the same as possession of it. Scripture repeatedly warns that such individuals will be shocked by their exclusion. Jesus Himself addressed this category with unsettling clarity: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. These are not pagans. These are churchgoers. They attend Mormon Temples. They attend Synagogues. They are decent people and were like them and appreciated them. We want the best for them. In short, we care about them.

When the catching away of the Church occurs (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17), many who expected to go will remain. In that moment, after the door has closed, they will finally cry out to Christ in sincerity. Scripture gives reason to believe many will be saved during the Tribulation, but salvation then comes at a terrible cost. John records this grim reality: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:14. Yes, they are saved. No, there is no reset button for CINOs. There is no do-over on timing. The Church Age closes. What follows is endurance under persecution, unlike anything in human history (Matthew 24:21). Faith during that period will often mean martyrdom rather than ministry.

Accountability at the Bema Seat and Moral Restraint Today: Scripture also teaches that believers will be evaluated, not for salvation, but for reward, at the judgment seat of Christ: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body.” 2 Corinthians 5:10. All of us appear in that majestic courtroom. Imagine how you will feel if you are there knowing what you escaped. Imagine the shock and awe of the rewards some will receive, and how little may be left for those who refused to use their talents and opportunities for the Kingdom. This is about the fast-coming kingdom. Those of us who have spent time in the lower ranks of public service and made friends with others of like decision seem to have such a clear understanding that we refuse risky opportunities to increase our incomes and accept the risk of loss of rewards at the Bema Seat. That is a price not at all worth paying. We are speaking, but few are listening. But we must talk anyway because they will have to deal with what is just around the corner. It is the season, but we have no clue about the day or hour, nor will we ever until it happens without warning.

This understanding has practical consequences now. Many sincere, born-again believers, particularly in law enforcement and the military, consciously refuse advancement into executive or policy-setting roles because such positions often require moral compromise, political obedience, or participation in corruption. I know of three judges who refuse to move up the ladder because of the compromises necessary. They quietly focus on pleasing our soon-coming king. This aligns with Paul’s warning: “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:15. For these believers, advancement is not worth spiritual loss. They choose family, conscience, and obedience over rank. That choice restrains evil now, but it also carries implications for what happens when the Church is removed.

A World Without Restraint: Paul explains that a divine restraint currently holds back complete lawlessness: “He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7 Whatever interpretive view one takes, the moral restraint provided by Spirit-indwelt believers is undeniable. When that restraint is removed, society does not gradually decline; it fractures. Nothing like it has ever happened. It will never happen again. No one there then will want to be there. They will focus on survival and becoming real Christians, or they will be part of the roving bands of mobs fighting for survival. It will be too late to stock up on guns and ammo, generators, or even generator fuel. Food will spoil as the grid collapses. The Green New Deal, going all-electric, is part of a scheme to force compliance of those left behind. The rulers left behind will be vicious. Those left behind will face a world where Institutions fail, trust evaporates, violence decentralizes, and survival becomes local and tribal. Good-hearted public servants who remain will prioritize their families, not abstract civic duty. Scripture does not condemn that instinct; it predicts it: “Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12. Jews everywhere will finally seek their Messiah and accept Him. But they will have to try to survive in this soon-coming environment. I’m deeply concerned about the welfare of those left behind. They will be our brothers and sisters in the kingdom to come. We are held accountable for tipping them off. They are responsible for their decisions. Ours is the uncomfortable duty to inform them. It is probably more painful than when a police dispatcher sends an officer to a disturbance call at the residence of a prestigious and influential politician. Oh, how uncomfortable that is.

The idea that remaining officers or soldiers will calmly manage mass rage, betrayal, and panic is a fantasy. Anyone who has witnessed even minor civil disturbances knows how quickly crowds turn vicious. Scale that globally, remove moral restraint, and add divine judgment, and it will become unmanageable. This terrifies me like nothing else can because while I may be tough as nails on the outside, I’m soft as butter on the inside, and I care deeply. Many preachers, teachers, evangelists, priests, and rabbis seem like cold-hearted business tycoons. What will they do when they are left behind? How will they deal with angry followers? That is why there are so many house churches forming everywhere, not one of them positioned as hirelings. They don’t take offerings for the organization. If they receive collections, it is for the specific local material needs of their flock members. I refer them to organize under section 508(c)1a, not 501(c)3 of Title 26, so they are exempt from government regulation by corrupt bureaucrats.

The Failure of Hirelings and the Cost of Deception: One of the most severe indictments in Scripture is against spiritual leaders who treated ministry as a business rather than a calling: “The hireling sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees.” John 10:12. These leaders insulated themselves with slogans, platitudes, and prosperity messaging, avoiding hard truths about repentance, judgment, endurance, and cost. They sold comfort when they were called to sell truth. Paul warned explicitly that this would happen: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, and they will turn their ears away from the truth.” 2 Timothy 4:3–4. It is seriously risky to ignore scriptural warnings. I refuse to do that or gloss over them. But these folks do just that. They don’t want to be called to account by some small businessman. They do not want to face their followers now and admit they were not warning them about what scripture actually says. God is using small-business people to help truth seekers, and there are plenty of them. I deal with them routinely.

When their illusions and delusions collapse, these religious and political leaders will not be pitied. People will blame politicians, also. They will blame judges. They will blame all sorts of leaders because leaders are supposed to know these things. Followers always depend on leaders. Followers can be vicious when they realize a leader betrayed or neglected them. We are supposed to know better. They will be confronted by followers who discover they were misled when it mattered most. Scripture repeatedly warns that false shepherds bear responsibility for the scattering of the flock (Ezekiel 34).

In a time of desperation, betrayal breeds fury. Being a deceptive religious figure during the Tribulation may be the most dangerous profession imaginable. These folks build up significant wealth, but that wealth becomes a magnet for those who will feel betrayed. It is best to be out of their way when they come to plunder and seek revenge. I’ve seen the after-effects of this on a tiny scale compared to what’s coming. When this time starts, wealth will be dangerous to possess. Better a cave in a hillside. Best, be rapture-ready. Those who diss the rapture now will not diss it then.

A Hard Conclusion, but an Honest One: The picture Scripture paints is not sanitized: Many will believe too late. Many will suffer deeply. Many leaders will answer for their negligence. Many public servants will withdraw to protect their own families. This is not cynicism. It is biblical realism. Which is precisely why preparation now matters, not institutional preparation, but spiritual readiness. The goal is not fear. The goal is truth. Because when the door closes, sincerity alone will no longer shield anyone from consequences. Can we not imagine the desperation of those left behind when God shut the door of Noah’s Ark? We must share these warnings from scripture regardless of all the dissing that comes our way. There are tactics for presenting sensitive subject matter that reduce the dissing and sometimes open eyes. But for most people, those are tactics that must be learned and taught.

Credit: Ron Bartels, Heber Springs, Arkansas