Our Eternal Dwelling
(Romans 8:18-27)
1For we know that if the tent of our earthly house should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.2And indeed, in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling whichis from heaven,3if indeed also having been clothed, we will not be found naked.4And indeed, being in the tent we groan, being burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that the mortal may be swallowed up by life.5Now theOne having prepared us for this verypurposeis God, having given to us the pledge of the Spirit,6always being confident, then, and knowing that, being at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.7For we walk by faith, not by sight.
8Now we are confident and are pleased rather to be absent out of the body, and to be at home with the Lord.9Therefore also we are ambitious, whether being at home or being away, to be well-pleasing to Him.10For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive back the thingsdone through the body according to what he did, whether good or evil.
Ambassadors for Christ
11Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. And we have been made manifest to God, and I hope to have been made manifest in your consciences also.12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving to you occasion of boasting on behalf of us, so that you may havean answer toward those boasting in appearance, and not inthe heart.
13For if we are beside ourselves,it is to God; or if we are sober-mindedit is for you.14For the love of Christ compels us, having concluded this, that One has died for all, therefore all have died.15And He died for all that those living no longer should live to themselves, but to theOne having died for them and having been raised again.
16Therefore from now, we regard no one according tothe flesh. Even though we have regarded Christ according to flesh, yet now we regardHim thus no longer.17Therefore if anyoneis in Christ,he is a new creation.a The old things have passed away; behold,the new has come into being.
18Now all thingsare of God, theOne having reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and having given to us the ministry of reconciliation:19how that God was in Christ reconcilingthe world to Himself, not reckoning their trespasses to them, and having put into us the word of reconciliation.
20Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God is beseeching through us. We implore on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.21He made theOne not having known sinto be sinb for us, so that in Him we might becomethe righteousness of God.
a17Orcreatureb21Orbe a sin offering
