Our Future after Death

1For we know that if our earthly tent we live ina is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens,b not made with hands.c 2Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiringa to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3since, when we are clothed,A we will not be found naked.a 4Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortalitya may be swallowed up by life. 5Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

6So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7For we walk by faith,a not by sight.b 8In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.a 9Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasinga to him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seata of Christ,b so that each may be repaidc for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

11Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord,a we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. 12We 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. 13For if we are out of our mind,a it is for God; if we are in our right mind,b it is for you. 14For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all,a and therefore all died. 15And he died for alla so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,b but for the onec who died for them and was raised.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

16From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.A Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,B yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;a the old has passed away, and see,b the new hasA come!c 18Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.a 19That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the worlda to himself,b not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

20Therefore, we are ambassadorsa for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf,b “Be reconciled to God.” 21He made the one who did not know sina to be sinA for us,b so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.