who we are, & what we're to be about

Sometimes Paul gives a simple explanation of who we are as followers of Jesus, & then in turn he explains what we're to be about.

He does a good job of both in this passage in his second letter to the followers of Jesus in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 5

14 Christ's love controls us.

Since we believe that Christ died for all,

we also believe that we have all died to our old life.

15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves.

Instead, they will live for Christ,

who died and was raised for them.
  

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.

At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view.

How differently we know him now!

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.

The old life is gone;

a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God,

who brought us back to himself through Christ.

And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

19 For God was in Christ,

reconciling the world to himself,

no longer counting people's sins against them.

And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

20 So we are Christ's ambassadors;

God is making his appeal through us.

We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"

21 For God made Christ,

who never sinned,

to be the offering for our sin,

so that we could be made right with God through Christ.