2 Corinthians 5:11-21 - Controlled By The Love Of Christ

¹¹ Shall I then, who know this terrible judgment of the Lord, endeavour to appease men? as for God, I am approved by him, and I trust also you are convinced of my being so approved. ¹² and this I say, not to commend myself again unto you, but to give you an occasion of glorying on my account, that you may confront those who make a false show of glorying. ¹³ for if I glory even to transport, my glorying is in God: if I am moderate, my glorying is for your service. ¹⁴ to this I am urg'd by the love I bear to Christ, persuaded as I am, that if one died for all, then were all in a dying state: and that he died for all, ¹⁵ that they who are in a state of life should not live at their own discretion, but to the service of him who died for them, and rose again.

¹⁶ Wherefore, henceforth I have no regard to any man for his external appearance: for tho' I formerly look'd for worldly grandeur in the Messiah, yet now I see things in another light. ¹⁷ therefore, if any man be a christian, he is in a new creation: the old state of things is chang'd to one entirely new. ¹⁸ Now this is all owing to God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath made us the ministers of this reconciliation; ¹⁹ for it is God that has reconciled the world to himself, by Jesus Christ, by not imputing their sins to them; and hath committed to us the gospel of reconciliation. ²⁰ we then are ambassadors for Christ, and 'tis God who makes you the offers by us: we pray you in the name of Christ, to make your peace with God. ²¹ for he hath made him who knew no sin to be a sin-offering for us, that we might be justified by God thro' him.