For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.
Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.
So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences.
We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in outward appearance rather than in the heart.
For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.
Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017, 2020 by Holman Bible Publishers.
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