2 Corinthians 5:1-9

1Our bodies are like a tent that we live in here on earth. One day, that home will come to an end. But we know that God will give us a new home. It is not a house that a human builder has built. God has built it for us in heaven and we will live there for ever.

2Now, while we are in our body here on earth, we cry inside ourselves. We want to go and live in our house that is in heaven.

3That will be like new clothes that we put on. When we go to live there, we will not be without clothes and ashamed.

4While we still live in our bodies here on earth, we cry inside ourselves. Many difficult things happen to us. We do not really want to take off our old body. But we do want to put on our new body, like new clothes. When that happens, we will no longer need our old body which had to die. Instead we will have a new body that will live for ever.

5God is the one who has prepared us to have a new life in heaven one day. He has given his Spirit to be with us now. Because of that, we know that we will receive all God's good things one day.

6Because God's Spirit is with us, we continue to be brave. While we still live here on earth, we know that we are not yet at home with the Lord.

7As we live here, we have to trust God. We do not yet see the things that belong to heaven.

8We are brave because we trust God. We would like to go away from our body here on earth. Then we would go to be at home with the Lord. And that would be better!

9But all the time we want to please the Lord. We want to do that while we are still at home in our body here on earth. We also want to please him when we go away from these bodies.