I’m in a study of 2 Corinthians. I pondered long on chapter five as I realized the rich treasures I could glean from just these 21 verses. They answer most of the major questions in life. I offer them in Q & A format.

What happens to us after we die?

• We will have new eternal bodies in heaven, made for us by God himself. (verse 1)
• We will be at home with the Lord. (8)
• All Christians will be rewarded for the good or bad done while on earth. (10)

Why were we created?

• God fashioned us to enjoy eternal life with him. (1, 4–5)

What did Jesus do for us?

• He died for us all. (14)
• He made us a new creation. (17)
• He restored us to God, not counting our sin against us. (19)
• Even though he was sinless, he took our sin, and in exchange gave us God’s righteousness (21)

What is our mission in life?

• God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him (18)
• We are Christ’s ambassadors. We urge others, as though Christ were here pleading with them, to receive the love he offers. (20)

What is our goal?

• Our goal is to please God in everything we do, whether we are here on earth or with him in heaven (9)

How do we live?

• We live by faith, not by sight. (7)
• We die to the old life we used to live. (14)
• We live no longer for ourselves, but for Christ who died and rose again for us. (15)
• We don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. (16)

What is our motivation?

• Whatever we do, we don’t do for our own profit, but rather because Christ’s love controls us. (13-14)

How do we know all this?

• God has given us his Holy Spirit as a guarantee. (5:5)
• We know these things are true by believing, not by seeing. (5:7)

PRAYER

Thank you, Jesus, for making me a new creation and restoring me to God. Help me to grasp what that really means for my day-to-day life. My mission feels daunting yet I desire to live by faith, so help me walk with the Spirit and please you in all that I do. I want to be so transformed by Christ’s love that love becomes my compelling force, my why behind all I do, and the way that I view those around me. Teach me to live “now” with a “then” lens, always keeping my heavenly home in my sight.

It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going.

2 Corinthians 5:7 MSG

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For more on what happens after we die, I recommend an article, A Body, No Body, New Body, written by my pastor-friend, Craig Miller.