We Long for Heaven

5 Now we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal home in heaven, which is not made by human hands. ² In fact, the reason we groan is that we long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. ³ If we do indeed put it on,^[a] we will certainly not be found naked. ⁴ To be sure, while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as the down payment.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ But we are confident and would much prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ And for this reason we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home or away. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he did while in the body, whether good or bad.

¹¹ So, since we know the fear of the Lord, we are trying to persuade people. Now, we are well known by God, and I hope that we are also well known in your consciences. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you have a reply for those who boast about outward appearance rather than what is in the heart.

¹³ Actually, if we were out of our minds, it was for God. If we are in our right minds, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels^[b] us, because we came to this conclusion: One died for all; therefore, all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for him, who died in their place and was raised again.

God Was in Christ Reconciling the World

¹⁶ As a result, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we knew Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him that way. ¹⁷ So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come!^{[c] 18} And all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, inasmuch as God is making an appeal through us. We urge you, on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.