5For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.G1063G1492G3754G1437G2257G1919G3614G4636G2647G2192G3619G1537G2316G3614G886G166G1722G37722We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.G2532G1063G1722G5129G4727G1971G1902G2257G3613G3588G1537G37723For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.G1489G2532G1746G2147G3756G2147G11314While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.G2532G1063G5607G1722G4636G4727G916G3756G1894G2309G1562G235G1902G2443G2349G2666G5259G22225God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.G1161G2716G2248G1519G846G5124G2316G3588G2532G1325G2254G728G41516So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.G3767G2532G3842G2292G1492G3754G1736G1722G4983G1553G575G29627For we live by believing and not by seeing.G1063G4043G1223G4102G3756G1223G14918Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.G2292G1161G2532G2106G3123G1553G1537G4983G2532G1736G4314G29629So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.G1352G5389G2532G1535G1736G1535G1553G1511G2101G84610For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.G1063G2248G1163G3956G5319G1715G968G5547G2443G1538G2865G1223G4983G4314G3739G4238G1535G18G1535G2556
We Are God’s Ambassadors
11Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.G1492G3767G5401G2962G3982G444G1161G5319G2316G1161G1679G2532G5319G1722G5216G489312Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart.G1063G4921G3756G1438G3825G5213G235G1325G5213G874G2745G5228G2257G5228G2443G2192G4314G2744G1722G4383G2532G3756G258813If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.G1063G1535G1839G2316G1535G4993G521314Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.G1063G26G5547G4912G2248G5124G2919G3754G1487G1520G599G5228G3956G686G599G3956G59915He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.G2532G599G5228G3956G2443G2198G2198G3371G2198G1438G235G599G5228G846G2532G145316So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!G5620G575G3568G1492G2249G3762G2596G4561G1161G1499G1097G5547G2596G4561G235G3568G3765G1097G376517This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!G5620G1536G1722G5547G2537G2937G744G3928G2400G3956G1096G253718And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.G1161G3956G1537G2316G3588G2644G2248G1438G1223G2424G5547G2532G1325G2254G1248G264319For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.G5613G3754G2316G2258G1722G5547G2644G2889G1438G3361G3049G846G3900G846G2532G5087G1722G2254G3056G264320So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”G3767G4243G5228G5547G5613G2316G3870G1223G2257G1189G5228G5547G5228G2644G231621For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.G1063G4160G266G5228G2257G3588G1097G3361G266G2443G2249G1096G1343G2316G1722G846
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