For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.For we live by faith, not by sight.We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.If we are "out of our mind," as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5

Living by Faith, Not by Sight

1 For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in,s is dismantled,t we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens.2 For in this earthly houset we groan, because we desire to put ont our heavenly dwelling,3 if indeed, after we have put ons our heavenly house,t we will not be found naked.4 For we groan while we are in this tent,s since we are weighed down,t because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purposet is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.t6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on eartht we are absent from the Lord –7 for we livet by faith, not by sight.8 Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be awayt from the body and at home with the Lord.9 So then whether we are alivet or away, we make it our ambition to please him.t

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,s so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.t

The Message of Reconciliation

11 Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord,t we try to persuadet people,t but we are well knownt to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.12 We are not trying to commendt ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us,t so that you may be able to answer those who take pridet in outward appearancet and not in what is in the heart.13 For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.14 For the love of Christt controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christt died for all; therefore all have died.15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.t16 So then from now on we acknowledget no one from an outward human point of view.t Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view,t now we do not know him in that way any longer.17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed awayt – look, what is news has come!t18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.19 In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given ust the message of reconciliation.20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His pleat through us. We plead with yout on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”

21 Godt made the one who did not know sins to be sin for us, so that in hims we would become the righteousness of God.