1Thes.4
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
He took the punishement I deserved on the cross. I will not be punished in the tribulation. I will be judged with other saved Christians at the White Throne.
I'm not a fatelist, just a realist and point to the Bible for what will happen to those that are saved - raptured or caught up is what will happen as listed in that verse. There are also other verses that alude to it also.
Who said the tribulation was a punishment for sin? What about the Christians being persecuted in Afghanistan, Sudan, and China? Was Christ's sacrifice insufficient for them? Doesn't the Bible speak of Christians suffering for Christ? You are confusing persecution and punishment, and wandering from Scripture in doing so.
As for the verse you cited, you have made the very common pre-trib error of believing that any verse that speaks of the rapture proves the pre-trib timing of it. Not so. Take a look at that passage, and you'll see that it could be describing a pre- mid- or post-trib rapture. No indication is given in that passage as to the timing or relation to the tribulation.
And by the way, let's can the "I'm a Christian, so I'm a pre-tribber" garbage. It's childish. Every poster on this thread is a Christian, and most of us are trying to have a reasoned and Scriptural discussion about our varying points of view.