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Chris Johnson, Sr. Director of Church Partnerships & External Advocacy, leads the discussion of 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:16
LIFELINE CHILDREN'S SERVICES
The mission of Lifeline Children’s Services is to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children. Our vision is for vulnerable children and their communities to be transformed by the gospel and to make disciples.
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Creators & Guests
Guest
Pastor Chris Johnson
Chris joined Lifeline in March, 2020, and serves as the Sr. Director of Church Partnerships & External Advocacy. He previously served as a pastor for 24 years and as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Faith and Community Based Initiatives. Chris has also served as a consultant and has been a frequent speaker at local, state, and national conferences, churches, and community gatherings, sharing his family’s story and challenging others to answer the gospel call to care for vulnerable children and families. He was born and raised in metro Atlanta, GA, and currently lives in Birmingham. Chris studied Church Ministries (B.A.) at Trinity Baptist College and Educational Leadership (M.Ed.) at Regent University. He and his amazing wife, Alicia, have 10 children (7 adopted from foster care) and 3 grandchildren (2 adopted from foster care). They have also served as foster parents to more than 40 children.
What is The Defender Bible Study?
The Defender Bible Study is a weekly study of God’s Word as we seek to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children's Services.
Welcome to the defender bible study. A weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of scripture and prayer to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services, where we believe that defending the fatherless begins by being rooted in God's word.
Chris Johnson:Welcome to the Defender Bible Study podcast. Today is Monday, July 1, 2024. My name is Chris Johnson. I serve as the vice president of church partnerships and government affairs at Lifeline Children Services. Today, we're continuing our look at the book of second Corinthians.
Chris Johnson:We'll be looking at second Corinthians chapter number 6 beginning in verse number 11 and going all the way through chapter number 7 to the end of that chapter at verse number 16. When we look at these 2 chapters, chapter 67 of second Corinthians, we really see, just the pastoral heart of Paul, His love and and and heart for the people at the church at Corinth clearly comes through as hasn't asked throughout these books. Even when he's had to address hard things, difficult things, he still has has never shirked back from his love for these people and his desire to see them walk in truth. And ultimately, in walking in truth, his desire to see them living out and living in the blessings of the lord. So as we look at this, we first begin the section with verses 11 through 13.
Chris Johnson:And and in these verses, we really sense Paul's longing for these folks at Corinth to receive the things that he has to say, for them to trust him, to trust that he has their best interest at heart. It says we have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return, I speak as to children, widen your hearts also.
Chris Johnson:You know, I can't help but think of as Paul's writing that, and he says there that he speaks to them as children. There are times with my own children as a dad that that, you know, I've kinda said things that maybe they didn't like, maybe they didn't agree, agree with, or but but, ultimately, it's it's out of a desire to see them walk in truth and desire to do right. And and my heart desires they would be open to those things, they would receive those things, that they would, you know, be open to, the teaching and the understanding that comes from having a little bit more experience and kind of being a little bit further down the road. And you kinda feel that same way from Paul here that he's saying, hey. Guys, trust me.
Chris Johnson:I got your best interest in heart. I'm not trying to make you miserable. I'm actually trying to help you and help you to live in the blessings of the lord. And and so just trust me when I say these things and open up your heart to receive the things that that I have to share with you from the Lord. And so it's in that mindset and in that vein that Paul in this in the rest of this chapter 6 and then in chapter 7, he's gonna give them 4 admonitions.
Chris Johnson:4 admonitions that he's gonna share, with the the church at Corinth that, certainly are applicable in our lives as well. So the first 1 that we see is an admonition to separation. An admonition to separation from the world. In chapter 6 here beginning in verse number 14, Paul says, do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?
Chris Johnson:Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? And Belial there is another word for Satan. It's just a term used to describe him. So what accord has Christ with Satan?
Chris Johnson:Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God as God said, I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their god, and they shall be my people. Therefore, go out from their midst and be separate from them, says the lord, and touch no unclean thing. Then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters to me, says the lord almighty.
Chris Johnson:Paul is stressing here the importance of not being unequally yoked. And this idea of unequally yoked originates really, from Deuteronomy chapter 22. As a part of the law, there's something that seems kinda odd to even be mentioning, when it was written back in Deuteronomy. But the the idea there was the the command was to not yoke together when plowing a field. Don't yoke together an ox and a donkey.
Chris Johnson:That they can't they they shouldn't be put in the same plow to to plow the field together because the reality is they have completely opposite natures. The ox is powerful and strong and wants to pour down and go through that process of of of, of tilling the yard, tilling the ground. But the donkey is obstinate, and and you don't know how the donkey is gonna respond and when they're gonna do they have their mind of their own and when they wanna, move forward and when they don't. They're built for different task. The donkey is not built to plow a field.
Chris Johnson:1 animal was considered clean while the other animal was considered unclean. Those 2 animals would not be going in the same direction. So there's this idea. Don't put 2 things that have completely different nature. You shouldn't put them together to accomplish a task, to accomplish a purpose because their ideology is different.
Chris Johnson:Their purposes are different. And so in that same vein here in verses 14 through 16, Paul kinda compares and says, hey. Partnership right? Righteousness does not partner with lawlessness. Fellowship doesn't partner with light does not have fellowship with darkness.
Chris Johnson:Christ does not have a walk in accord with Satan. You know? And and in the same vein, the believer does not share a portion with the unbeliever. There's no agreement between the temple of God and worshiping God and worshiping idols. You can't those 2 things can't coexist.
Chris Johnson:And and so Paul's just really stressing here that when things have different natures, they should not be bound together. He then goes on in the next few verses to quote from both Isaiah and Ezekiel talking about this importance of separating from those who are outside, separating away from the heathen, because again of the 2 different natures. Now when we when we read this, we're we know Paul's Paul's not talking about don't be friends with lost people. He's not saying don't have any influence and and and don't be kind and and and gentle with lost people. That's not at all what he's saying.
Chris Johnson:He's not telling us to completely isolate ourselves and remove ourselves from the world or from, lost people around us. He's not telling us to to refuse the customs of the world, such as, you know, the way a culture dresses or the way, there's certain things that our culture enjoys and engages in. And we certainly have guidelines or restriction in engaging in those things and modesty in those, those different pieces. But he's not saying be weird and, you know, be, be completely, you know, if the world doesn't, then you do the opposite. And that's not what he's saying here as far as like cultural type of things.
Chris Johnson:But what he is talking about, I mean, a few things that, that we, that we know is, is he saying, Hey, don't marry a lost person. You know, marriage is 1 of the closest relationship outside of our relationship with Christ, that marriage relationship and that marriage bond is the closest. And we need to receive the admonition to to not marry a lost person. If you're not married, then you shouldn't even be dating or considering being into a marriage, entering into a marriage relationship, a marriage covenant with someone who doesn't know the Lord. Your your your ideology is gonna be different.
Chris Johnson:Your natures are gonna be different. Then we know from scripture, Paul has said in other places that that if you're 2 lost people come together in marriage and 1 of those gets saved, this doesn't mean that the saved person should automatically leave the lost person. But at the same time, the admonition of the warning is to not enter into those types of partnerships. The same could be said of business partnerships. So many times, we we think, well, you know, hey.
Chris Johnson:This person's got a smart mind. They got good connections. So we're gonna go in business together, and it's really not gonna be that big of a deal. But the reality is, as you move forward, there are gonna be moral decisions that need to be made. There are gonna be ethical decisions that need to be made.
Chris Johnson:There are gonna be priorities that are gonna need to be set for that business. And And if 1 person has the spirit of the lord within them and the other 1 does not, then the natures are gonna be different and the the outcomes are gonna be different. There's gonna be conflict, and there's gonna be struggle. The same is true with our closest friendships. Now, yes, we we should be friendly and friends with lost people, but our most intimate closest friends that we have should be people that have the same nature as us.
Chris Johnson:That have the Lord within them as well, the Holy Spirit within them as well, because that's gonna cause us to to walk together. That's gonna cause us to to be in harmony, to be moving in the same direction, to have the same goals, to have the same sets of of of of things that we wanna accomplish in our life and wanna see living out our faith, living out a witness before the world around us. Just recently, I had the opportunity with my family to go to a concert, that was that was held at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. I went and saw Ben Richter and Cody Fry with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Beautiful concert.
Chris Johnson:Great music. Beautiful music that was played. But, you know, that that that with that with that orchestra as they're playing, you've got different instruments that all have different timbres, have different, abilities. They play at different times. But, man, they just they come together with their different personalities and create beautiful harmony, beautiful music.
Chris Johnson:But if those but what there's something that brings that together that makes that beautiful, and that's the fact that they're all playing from the same sheet of music. They may play at different times. They may play in different ways. They may play different ranges, but they're playing from the same piece of music. They're playing the same song.
Chris Johnson:If the orchestra had come out and the string section started playing 1 song, and at the same time, the brass section's playing a different song, and percussion's going wild and just nuts, and they're just doing their own thing, then that wouldn't be beautiful. That'd have been horrible be because they would've been playing off of different pieces of music, but there had to be something that brings the orchestra together. And what brings the orchestra together is that there's a commonality that they're all playing the same song. And the same should be true with us. When when we when we when we are in our most intimate and deepest relationships, we need to be playing off the same song, playing the same song.
Chris Johnson:And it is what the thing that binds us is not a piece of music. It's the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because our mission as Christ followers is to preach and proclaim the gospel. Our, our method in doing that is living out the gospel and living in the power of the gospel And in our deepest closest relationships, we need to be in those relationships with people that share that common goal, that's common thing of the gospel. When we're trying to partner with the lost and and enter into those relationships that are too tight with the lost, then it's like playing from completely different music.
Chris Johnson:We've gotta stay focused on the same thing together. Now, again, we must be friendly. We, we could often find common ground, but there's always gonna be a wall between believers and unbelievers. It's the gospel. Even as an organization, as a ministry lifeline, we partner at times with others who wanna see kids in homes.
Chris Johnson:They right. That's their goal. That's their their mission. But what separates us is that we wanna see kids in homes where they're going to hear the gospel. We want to see kids in Christian homes, and it's the gospel that is our motivation.
Chris Johnson:And it's the gospel that that brings that unity and binds us together. Verses 17 18, again, he just kind of reiterates and shows that the blessing that comes from this separation is that that we're identified with our heavenly father. He says, I will welcome you. I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters to me, says the Lord almighty. So when we walk together in their closest relationships with other believers and we're not unequally yoked, then we are showing that that we are sons and daughters of the most high god, that he is our father.
Chris Johnson:And what a blessing, what a joy that is. So we see an admonition to separation, but then we also see, number 2, an admonition to pursue holiness to pursue holiness. Notice what he says in verse number 1 of chapter 7. Since we have these promises, this promise that when we separate from the world, we are identifying with Christ. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
Chris Johnson:You see, Paul's admonition is not just about what we separate from, but it's also what we separate to. Not only do we stay separate from the world, but we must also stay separated to our heavenly father. He mentions 2 things here, the importance of cleansing ourselves. So making sure that our we keep a short sin record, making sure that we are staying pure, in our hearts, that we are staying pure in our walk, that our, that our, body and spirit are both removed from defilement, that we are cleansing ourselves and staying pure, but then also that we are pursuing holiness, that we're running to holiness. And he shares about this this bringing holiness to completion in the fear of god.
Chris Johnson:It's, that that pursuing holiness is this process of sanctification. So Paul's admonishing them to separate from the world, but separate to a pursuit of holiness to be like our heavenly father. The same idea Paul used oftentimes when he talked about putting off the old ways and then putting on the new ways. So there's always this dual thing. We've got to put off something to to be able to put on something.
Chris Johnson:Peter said the same thing in 1st Peter chapter 1, when he when he gives us admonition to be holy, he says, put off the former passions the way you used to live and those worldly thinkings and put on holiness. And the idea of holiness being set apart, set apart from something, set apart to something, set apart from the world, set apart to our heavenly father and to this process of sanctification. So an admonition of separation, an admonition to pursue holiness, and then number 3, an admonition to encouragement an admonition to encouragement. We read the the next verses and and really verses 2 through 7 and chapter 7 and then also verses 3 13 through 16. And we're gonna just really hear the importance of encouragement in Paul's life, in in in other leaders' lives, and even in the church at Corinth in their lives.
Chris Johnson:So think about that as a as a read this together. He says, make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no 1. We've corrupted no 1. We've taken advantage of no 1.
Chris Johnson:I do not say this to condemn you for I said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness towards you. I have great pride in you. I am filled with comfort. In all of your affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
Chris Johnson:For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn, fighting without and and fighting without and fear within. The God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he he was comforted by you. As he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me so that I rejoice still more. Bouncing down to verse 13. Therefore, we are comforted.
Chris Johnson:And besides our own comfort, we rejoice still more at the joy of Titus because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For whatever boast I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. And his affection for you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you.
Chris Johnson:Do you hear the encouragement that the people of Corinth were to Paul? Paul is giving encouragement to the church here. He's giving encouragement to them and thanking them for what he's done. You know, we've we've mentioned several times throughout this study of the the 2 books of Corinthians that that when Paul came to Corinth, he was in a place of of weakness, a place of distress, a place of infirmity. And he speaks about how as he tend to life with them and dove in with them, how they encouraged him.
Chris Johnson:And and even still, they've encouraged his heart. When he hears of things, he's had to address hard things, but hearing how they have now responded to those things is an encouragement to him. We see also that the Titus encouraged Paul. There's this this this understanding of Titus and the work that he did brought comfort to Paul. But then also we read there in the end how the the church encouraged Titus.
Chris Johnson:They encouraged Titus, and and they showed him love and received him well. And, you know, Paul even kind of says, hey. I told Titus you're gonna take good care of him, and you have proven that that was true. You you have made what I said a truth. You you've lived that out and you have cared well for Titus.
Chris Johnson:And and the reality is we need each other. Right? If as we're living in this world and as we're going through this process of of of separation and pursuing holiness, we need each other. We need the encouragement that comes from being a part of the body of Christ. So let's receive this admonition to encourage 1 another, to encourage our brothers and sisters.
Chris Johnson:Find someone that you can strengthen and build up, and then also receive the encouragement that's being offered to you. Be encouraged in the way that god's using you to lead others and teach others and and and and challenge others as well. So an admonition to separation, an admonition to pursue holiness, an admonition to encouragement, and then finally, an admonition to accountability an admonition to accountability. Verses 8 through 12. Paul says here, for even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it though I did regret it for I see that the letter grieved you though only for a while.
Chris Johnson:Now remember we said at the beginning of this of our study of this book that somewhere along the line, Paul, between 1st Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians, there had been a letter that had been sent to them, that was not a part of the canon. It's not inspired, but a letter from Paul's heart. And this is where we're kinda getting that from. Paul is saying here, I wrote you a letter. And, evidently, in this letter, he had to show some tough love.
Chris Johnson:And and he initially even regretted how strong he was when he wrote that letter. But then he says, I don't regret it anymore because I saw how that that god used this letter and me pointing out the sin in your life to bring you to a place of repentance. Let's go let's continue read reading. As it is, I rejoice not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief so that you suffered no loss through us.
Chris Johnson:He says, I grieve that that, you know, I I he said, first, I was red and then I wrote this letter because it was, like, too harsh maybe, But then I saw how God used it to turn your heart. You turn to repentance. And and and and, then I'm at a place of of, I rejo or of rejoicing. I'm excited now. Not excited because the letter was hurtful.
Chris Johnson:Not excited because it was hard for you to hear, but excited because in hearing what was hard, you allowed that confrontation to point you to repentance. You grieved over your sin. And then he says in verse 10, godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. And he's not saying you got saved because you you changed your mind in this. There were already believers.
Chris Johnson:But what he's saying is, again, this process of sanctification continue to be lived out. This process of of salvation in your life was continue to live out because now this godly grief has turned to repentance, which leads to this continuing process of sanctification. 4 verse 11. Forsee what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment. At every point, you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
Chris Johnson:So although I wrote I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the 1 who did the wrong nor for the sake of the 1 who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of god. So Paul didn't rejoice because of their grief or the pain they felt from the confrontation. He rejoiced in the repentance that followed. And and here's AAA thing for us to remember is that that there are times when we must hold each other accountable. That is the responsibility that we have within the body of Christ.
Chris Johnson:When we have a brother or sister that we're in a close relationship with and we see it said in their life, and then we don't point it out in a judgmental way. We don't point it out in a, in a self righteous way presenting ourselves as better than them, but there is the need to point out the the the blind spots. Right? To point out the things that we see And the prayer and and is then the desire is although it may be difficult or harsh to receive that at first, the but we want our our our close brothers and sisters, we want them to come to the place of repentance and restoration. And that has to be the goal, not to to harm them or hurt them or to position ourselves in a place that seems better than them, but the goal has to be to bring about repentance and restoration.
Chris Johnson:And when we hold each other accountable in that spirit and we receive accountability in that spirit, then that that will produce godly grief that leads us to the place of repentance so that we continue on growing closer to the lord, growing, in our in our process of sanctification. So Paul didn't hesitate to point out sin. He held the Corinthians to a high standard. He called them to separation. He called them to holiness.
Chris Johnson:But this process led to a stronger relationship between the church at current at Corinth and Paul. It led to Paul being able to rejoice in and celebrate his love, his confidence in his brothers and his sisters in Christ. There was relationship that was built, relationship that became stronger. And so we've gotta think about these things. And and and even as we seek confrontation or we seek pointing people to, to to holiness or even encouraging people, calling people out to separation, we're able to do that the best when we have built deep relationship.
Chris Johnson:So so this is the importance of having good relationship that is trustworthy, where our motives are pure and our desires are are good. And in so having those desires and having that right motivation and that pure relationship would lead us, as Paul said, to be able to say, I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you. What a great way for Paul to end this chapter to this to this to this people there at Corinth to say, hey. I'm rejoicing in you. We've been through some hard stuff.
Chris Johnson:You've taken some some tough, confrontation, but you've responded properly. You've made the right choices. You're moving in the right direction, and I have complete confidence that you're gonna continue to do so. May that be said of all of us, and may we be able to have that confidence in the people that we love and care for. Well, let's go over in prayer, at this time.
Chris Johnson:And, this week, we're praying for the education team, here at Lifeline. And so will you join me together in prayer? Dear heavenly father god, we love you and thank you so much for your word. We thank you for, Paul and the way that he lived out an example for us and specifically in how he showed his love for the church there at Corinth. His pastor will care for them.
Chris Johnson:And, god, I pray that we would be faithful to walk in these same things, that we would receive this admonition to us, but then also that we would live out these admonitions in our relationships with other brothers and sisters in Christ. And, Lord, as we as we think about just, the ministry of Lifeline God, we wanna continue to pray and ask you to bless our ministry. And we're thankful for the ways that you've given us to, be able to come alongside vulnerable populations, but then also to come alongside those that are stepping up to care for vulnerable populations, specifically, foster and adoptive parents. God, I thank you for our team. I thank you for that.
Chris Johnson:You've called the right people, to our ministry, that have a heart for families and have a heart, for parents that are doing hard things and kids that have been from hard places. And, lord, I pray you just would continue to bless. I pray that you give our team wisdom to know, how best to address needs, creativity, to know, things that would would be successful, that would work well, or that they would, have the time and the energy to be able to to produce the things, to collaborate with the different departments, to know what the needs are and then to produce products that would be able to to help us care well, for both the vulnerable and the families that love and serve them. God, we again just pray that you'll just continue to guide and direct us in our lives, in our ministry as well. And in all of this, god, we will give you all the praise and all the glory.
Chris Johnson:For it's the name of Jesus, our savior, we pray. Amen.
Herbie Newell:Thanks again for joining us for the defender the defender bible study to make it easier for more people to find. For more resources and information on how you and your church can partner with Life Line, please visit us at lifelinechild.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child. You can email us directly at info at lifelinechild.org. We look forward to seeing you again next week for the Defender Bible Study.