Are you a CINO?

If you read many political discussions you may have read the terms DINO and RINO. They stand for Democrat in Name Only and Republican in Name Only. They describe those who are members of a political party but who don’t really promote the things that party stands for. In the long run it doesn’t really matter whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, a DINO, or a RINO. One day Jesus Christ will return and set up his kingdom and rule the entire world. All of our present governments and political parties will be eliminated. But it will make a big difference whether or not you are a CINO.

CINO stands for Christian in Name Only. We are all sinners and deserve nothing but eternal condemnation in Hell. Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to atone for our sins.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3,4)

Anyone who turns from his sin and receives Jesus as his Lord and Savior will be forgiven.

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:11-13)

There is large body of people in the world who have taken this step and are forgiven. But there is another large body who believe they are Christians but have not really put their faith in Jesus. They are CINOs. There was a time when I was a member of this group.

As early as I can remember I have gone to Sunday school and church. Unfortunately I attended a church that wasn’t always Biblical in its teaching. I don’t recall that anyone in that church explained the way of salvation to me. They emphasized the need to be baptized and join the church. When I was 14 years old I took this step. After being baptized I believed that I was a Christian, but in fact I was only a CINO.

God didn’t allow me to go on in this condition for very long. I learned of a radio program called Back to the Bible which taught the Bible accurately and as a result of listening to program I heard the gospel and became a real Christian.

People become CINOs for many reasons. Some are baptized when they are infants and think that this act makes them Christians. Sometimes someone who attends a church that actually preaches the gospel will go forward in response to a public invitation and believe that this saves him. I have even heard of people who were ordained and serving as pastors who realized that they were not saved. The Bible says that we should examine ourselves to make sure our salvation is real.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5)

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