The Promise of a New Body
2 Corinthians 5For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in the heavens, not made by human hands. For in this state we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, since after we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we don’t want to be unclothed, but to be clothed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a down payment.
Therefore we are always full of courage, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. And so, we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Therefore whether at home or absent, we make it our ambition to please ʜɪᴍ. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive according to what was done in the body, whether good or bad.
Reconciliation and New Creation
Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we work to persuade humans. What we are is known openly to God, and I hope we are also known openly in y’all’s consciences. We aren’t commending ourselves to y’all again, but are giving y’all an opportunity to take pride in us, so that y’all will have an answer for those who take pride in appearances rather than in what is in heart. For if we are out of our minds, it is for God. And if we are in our right mind, it is for y’all. For the love of Christ compels us, since we have concluded this: that one died for all, therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again.
From now on, we don’t view anyone from a fleshly perspective. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, but now we no longer know him that way. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there is new creation! The old has passed, the new has come! But all things are from God, who reconciled us to ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ through Christ and gave us the deacon-work of reconciliation, which is that God was reconciling the world to ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.
Hᴇ has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. We plead on behalf of Christ: “Y’all be reconciled to God.” For ʜᴇ made him who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.