The Ninety and Nine In '99 by Raymond Stiner There is a beautiful song that we sometimes sing in the church that is probably one of the most touching stories ever put to music. The song is entitled: "The Ninety and Nine." The very first stanza of that song starts out like this: "There were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold..." What a wonderful privilege and feeling it is that in 1999 we are able to say that we are a part of the ninety and nine. There is no doubt that the writer of this song had contemplated many times the words of the shepherd boy who wrote "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." I am certain that there is no Psalm in the entire Old Testament collection that is better known and which has a greater hold on more people than the 23rd Psalm. It has been compared to a nightingale, which as to size and plumage is insignificant when placed along side of some other birds, yet it does what many others cannot do, namely it sings sweetly during a mourners night and bids hope for the morning of joy. Yes indeed there are blessings that go along with being a part of the ninety and nine. Being saved means that we are a part of the elect and the chosen of God. In 1 Pet. 1:1-5, Peter gives some very beautiful descriptions of the state of the saved. In verses 1-2 he writes: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." Then in verse 3 he talks about how that we are begotten of God and born again and that we live with a living hope of the resurrection based on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In verse 4 he talks about the wonderful inheritance of heaven that is undefiled, incorruptible and that which shall never fade away reserved in heaven for us. Words cannot describe what heaven will really be like. Then in verse 5 we are told how that the Lord keeps us through our faith and that we wait for the great things to be revealed in the last days. 1 / 6
As Christians in 1999 we have the assurance that our sins have been forgiven and we don't have to worry about being lost. Paul worded it this way in Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." When you think about how the Lord will take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel of Christ, it is a good feeling to know that there will be no condemnation for us who have obeyed the gospel. It is also written in this chapter of Romans that if God be for us, who can be against us. We also know that we are his children and we can call him Father through the spirit of adoption. O yes it is indeed a wonderful feeling to be safely in the fold with the ninety and nine and we can know this if we follow the admonition of Paul: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Cor. 13:5) Through proper examination and comparing our lives with the true Word of God we can determine where we are in God's great scheme of things. But the thrust of the song "The Ninety and Nine" is not to tell us about those that safely lay in the fold, but to remind us of the lost sheep as the first stanza continues on to say:" But one was out on the hills away far off from the gates of gold; Away on the mountain wild and bare, Away from the tender Shepherds care, Away from the tender Shepherd's care." Through the remainder of the song we are told beautifully how that the Shepherd went searching for that lost one until he found him and rejoiced that he was brought back to the fold. It is of this one lost soul that I now direct my attention and appeal to you to be concerned about. Every person who is reading this article knows a person who is out on the mountain top far away from the fold. It may be a son or daughter, or just a friend or neighbor, but they are a precious soul indeed and they need your help. A characteristic of sheep is they lack good eyesight and cannot find their way alone. And a lot of people who have left the fold just need a little help to find their way back. 2 / 6
In fact this is a command given to us by James. "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:20). There are several things I learn from these two versus. It Is Possible for a Child of God to Go Astray Some people and many major religions deny this today, but those who deny it go against the teachings of the Old and the New Testaments. There is no passage that teaches that a Christian can lose his way and be lost any more forcefully than James 5:19. James says: "Brethren if any of you do err from the truth." The Greek word for "err" means "to wander, to go astray." The picture is not that of open rebellion against God, but rather a gradual drifting away from God and the things of God just as a sheep might drift away from the flock. The key thing to remember is that they erred from, wandered from the truth and only the truth can set us free and so now these people who once were free, are now bound. And what is the destination of those that depart from the truth and are not brought back? Listen to James as he says, "He which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from DEATH." This could not be speaking of physical death because all the repentance in the world will not protect us from the appointment that all must meet. The death spoken of here can only refer to spiritual death, which would mean being separated from God in this life, and even more terrible than that, to be separated from him in the world which is to come. If we fully understood and appreciated this statement we would do everything in our power to keep it from happening. It has been said of our soul winning activities that we "dip them and then drop them." Too many of us want to assist in the birth of a new child of God and then deny any responsibility for that spiritual baby. Let us give these precious souls the continued support of love, concern, help, and teaching, for if they move away from this 3 / 6
commitment they will be lost eternally lost in hell fire. Somehow I would like to impress upon you that it is not "if" a brother errs, but that it can be done. There are those who have erred and are erring from the truth even as you read these words. And when that happens and one of you brings them back, you have saved a soul from hell. Right this minute dozens of erring Christians are within a few miles of your home on their way to eternal death. Until we face these facts squarely we will never be motivated to bring them back. It is Possible to Bring the Erring Child Back The main thrust of these verses in James is not negative, but is positive. The em-phasis is not that a child of God can be lost but that there is hope. The erring child can be brought back, spiritual death can be averted, a multitude of sins can be covered. Unfortunately this does not mean we can restore every unfaithful Christian. Many have hardened their hearts and as the writer in Heb. 6:4-6 suggests, it is impossible to renew them seeing they have crucified the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame. Jesus also said: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you" (Matthew 7:6). There are those that will reject our efforts of love again and again so that at some point good sense will dictate that our time will be spent more profitably with others. When a brother or sister becomes unfaithful there are several things we can do. For one thing we can ignore the problem and do nothing (which is what we usually do). We can also give them up in disgust and wash our hands of all responsibility. We also can treat them harshly and look down on them when we see them and drive them further into sin. Or we can go to them in love and try to bring them back in meekness and in fear. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1-2). 4 / 6
Paul's words here stress that we improve our chances of bringing the lost back if we go to them in the right way, in the spirit of meekness. But how can we express our love to them so that only good will result? Here are a few guidelines: A. Show them that you still care for them. Be interested in them. Invite them into your home. Go to see them in their home. Especially take advantage of times of emotional stress. Help them when there are times of happiness and sorrow such as births, deaths, marriages, successes and failures. B. Talk to them about their spiritual needs. While we want to become interested in their physical well-being we want to make sure that we talk to them about what they really need and that is to get back in touch with God. It may be that we need to get back to the basics so they can once again build a good foundation of Christian faith. C. We should pray for them. As is suggested in James 5:15-16 let us not hesitate to let our weaker brothers and sisters know that we love them and that we are praying for them. It Is Our Responsibility to Bring the Erring Child Back We need to underline the principle that this is our job. The passage in James 5:19 begins, "Brethren if any of you..." I think we can safely assert that the one to bring the erring back is another child of God. Paul said it this way in Gal. 6:1: "Ye which are spiritual." The denominational world cannot do it, unfaithful Christians cannot do it. If faithful Christians don't do it, it won't get done. This does not relieve the erring from his responsibility. If I become unfaithful, whether anyone tries to get me restored or not, I will still have to face God with my unfaithfulness. 5 / 6
In closing let me ask you, do you know anyone who was once a child of God and has since strayed away? If you do, put out extra effort to win them back so the flock may be complete. May God help us to have the love for the lost as we should. Box 4 LeContes Mills, PA 16850 6 / 6