11 Knowing how we are in awe of the Lord, we try to convince others. It's clear to God what we are, and I hope that it's clear to your minds too. 12 We are not trying to speak well of ourselves again, just trying to give you the opportunity to be proud of us, so you can answer those who are proud of outward show and not what they are inside.* 13 If we are "crazy people,"* it's for God. If we make good sense, it's for you. 14 Christ's love urges us on, because we're absolutely sure that he died for everyone, and so everyone died. 15 Christ died for everyone so that they shouldn't live any longer for themselves, but for him who died and rose again for them.

16 From now on we don't look at anyone from a human point of view. Even though we once viewed Christ this way, we don't do so any longer. 17 That's why anyone who is in Christ is a new being—what was old is gone, the new has come! 18 God did all this by changing us from enemies into friends through Christ. God gave us this same work of changing his enemies into his friends. 19 For God was in Christ, bringing the world back from hostility to friendship with him, not counting anyone's sins against them, and giving us this message to change his enemies into his friends. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God is pleading through us: "Please, won't you come back and be God's friend?" 21 God made Jesus, who never personally sinned, experience the consequences of sin so that we could have a character that is good and right just as God is good and right.*