Usually the first things one asks when they begin to realize there is a pre tribulation rapture is, how do I make sure I go? As I see it, there are no verses which give a 100% guarantee that a person will be found worthy to escape in the pre tribulation rapture.
The rapture is something to strive for, worthiness we hope for, a reward we do not presume to have attained, but a prize. Many of these same verses are "pre trib" proof texts, and should be familiar; perhaps you will see them in a new light. Some may be new.
All of these verses do not distinguish between believers and the wicked, but between faithful believers and not so worthy believers.
How to know if you are lukewarm:
Realize that there are rewards in heaven. It is not a paradise of communism that we seek! Each man will get his own reward. Seek those kingdom rewards fervently, with violence! Ask yourself the following questions, and read the scripture.
Am I showing works?
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Will my works last?
1 Cor 3:
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Where are my treasures stored?
Matthew 6:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Am I a dishonorable vessel?
2 Timothy 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonor.
What do I really seek?
Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Do I seek it with violence?
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
What is really more important to me, family or Christ?
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
How much do you Love the Lord Jesus Christ?
[Mat 22:37.15] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [Mat 22:38] This is the first and great commandment. [Mat 22:39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. [Mat 22:40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Does that help? It helps me to think about it this way, that our salvation is a continual process, and striving to be more Christ like in a walk which we engage ourselves in. Being in Christ, as continually as we can be and always on the lookout, ever watching our walk, reading the word, and looking for His return. Having the Spirit of the Lord ordering our steps along the way.
Concluding thoughts for overly optimistic skeptics who wrongly think that ALL "Christians" will go in the rapture because of the following:
[1Cor 15:51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Not so!
You cannot ignore the fact that all who just give lip service to Jesus will be saved. As for me, I know "all" is not 100% inclusive as we might normally think with our English language today. The word "all" doesn't have a 100% inclusive meaning in scripture. Certainly, there will be exceptions to "all" in the following scriptures, because not all men are damned to accept the mark, and not all men come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
1Tim 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Concluding thoughts for hardcore skeptics who believe they will go through the tribulation. It says here that those who look for tribulation instead of the blessed hope are those who "sin willfully after having received knowledge of truth". Did you at one time believe the pre trib rapture, and discard it because of a false teaching that was attached to it such as once saved always saved? Is your sin one of doubt and skepticism and lack of faith?
Heb 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Even though this once saved always saved doctrine has been around for centuries, we read clearly that mankind needs to repent, to confess Christ and to walk in the ways of God and keep His commandments as best we can (Romans 10:8-10). Yes, but we who are in the flesh cannot repent good enough, we cannot confess Christ good enough, and we cannot keep God’s commandments good enough (the commandments that God demands of each person).
Notice that when Job repented in his experience with God, he only repented of having a base opinion of God and His powers; he did not repent of being fleshly (which Job still remained). Indeed, we can only repent of things that we are capable, and you are not capable of repenting from a condition of being in flesh into a condition of being in spirit (to have a spirit based body as the Father and Christ now have). Indeed, if you are 90 years old, you still cannot repent of being in flesh. Still, however, by being in flesh, you are in a "fallen state" as far as the clear theological teaching of the apostle Paul is concerned (and this is the teaching of God).
Do you know that as long as the apostle Paul himself remained in flesh that he was in a "fallen state" as far as he himself was concerned. That’s right. And so are you and me in such a "fallen state" even now. Indeed, we did not ask to be born in this "fallen state" (we had nothing to do with being created in this fallen condition). But in God's eyes, we are "fallen." still in the flesh.
But Wait a moment. We are told in the Gospel that God the Father now views humanity not in this fashion any longer. Thankfully, God now views each of us through Christ.
Romans 5:6 Though all of us (even still) are by nature (because we are in the flesh) reckoned to be "ungodly"
6 that we are all "sinners"
8 and that we are even "enemies" of God because of being in flesh
10 God has determined to reconcile all of us to Himself "by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be SAVED through his life"
Notice that our salvations (our being SAVED) comes to us "through His [Christ’s] life," NOT through any actions of our own. Indeed, in the process of salvation, nothing that we do or do not do is associated with that salvation which God gives to us through His grace. We were created in our "fallen conditions" by being in the flesh through the grace of God, but we are also given our "righteous conditions" in Christ through the grace of God. You see, salvation begins, it continues, and it ends IN CHRIST. It is His works that count in our salvations. It is His works that He did on earth (and those works of Christ have been awarded to us through grace) that grant us our salvations.
When the Father sees us in our present existence on earth, He no longer observes us as being "in the flesh," though we are in actual fact still "in the flesh." God now sees us as being "in Christ." And though we are created to perform good works (Ephesians 2:10), still God’s salvation is not something that is given to us by any works that we may do (whether they be good works or bad works). Christ did the works for us on our behalf while He was on earth. With this teaching, which is the true teaching of God, we should recognize God’s truth: "By grace are ye saved."
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