Why Mercy Ministry?

“The gospel is a whole gospel. It’s not just saving the soul – it addresses the whole person.” (Dr. Rick Horne, Oakseed Ministry Liaison, answering the question, “Why is mercy ministry a gospel concern?”)

Of course, what people need most is to have their deepest needs met: their spiritual cancer healed, their rags of sin removed and replaced with the robe of Christ’s righteousness, their spiritual eyes opened, and their deep dissatisfaction, hunger, and thirst satiated by the Living Water and the Bread of Life. There is grave danger, however, in only sharing the gospel while neglecting real sickness, nakedness, blindness, hunger, and thirst.

James says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27) “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16) Jesus Himself provided food for the crowds to teach them that He alone can satisfy them. He healed the sick and raised the dead to show that He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things and that life can only be found in Him.

It is not enough to only meet physical needs, leaving people hopeless for eternity, or to only share the gospel, neglecting the hunger or despair that makes it difficult to see outside yourself. True gospel ministry combines both ingredients. When ministries use opportunities to bless those in need physically, there is a greater openness to long-term relationships and discipleship, with opportunities to regularly share the love of God and transform lives for the glory of God.

Consider three of Oakseed’s ministry partners: Reformed Heart Orphans Center , JEAME , and Teen Ministry . Through each of these ministries alone, the Lord has taken gifts given to meet physical needs and used them to create ongoing gospel relationships. Through these relationships, the Lord has opened people’s eyes to the hope of the gospel and the beauty of the Savior. In many instances, such as several of Teen Ministry’s graduates and JEAME’s participants, the Lord multiplied these gifts exponentially by raising up and sending out gospel laborers, whether formally as pastors and missionaries or informally as godly spouses, employees, and parents. God is using the gifts of his people, given to meet both physical and spiritual needs, to call people out of darkness into His glorious light.