Wommack's Wrathless God
By Dennis Pollock
A couple of years ago I did a video devotional about Andrew Wommack, challenging his assertion that God is never upset and never judges any person or nation. This assertion was so patently absurd, I couldn't imagine him getting anyone to believe it. But considering his popular television ministry and his good-sized Bible college, along with its extensions and satellite branches, he is a fairly significant figure among Christian ministers.
Recently I decided to download his book, "The War is Over; God is not Mad…" The book is an easy read, and Andrew essentially repeats the same basic points over and over. But in those points, there are some major, and I do mean major errors, and I decided I needed to create another study on this subject and go into a little more detail than the first time around.
Reading his book gave me a little more insight as to how a Bible College president can defend the indefensible, and flatly contradict what orthodox Christianity has always asserted, since the days of the early church fathers.
To review, Andrew Wommack does not believe that God is ever upset with any sin by anybody, whether small or severe, whether committed by a Christian, sinner, atheist, or New Ager. He will freely admit that the God of the Old Testament surely did get angry, but now, because of the cross of Jesus, God's anger has been completely dissipated. It's not just that God no longer becomes furious over sin; He doesn't even get the least bit grumpy or upset by sin. Beat your wife to a pulp, commit sexual atrocities, or shove people in front of the subway, God's okay with all of this. He's not upset, He will not judge you or rebuke you and doesn't even expect you to repent. Not a problem with this new, chilled-out God who loves to sing: "Whatever will be, will be."
Wommack's Assertions
Now some of you cannot believe this. You think I'm either making this up or else I've heard some kind of rumors that have no factual basis. So, to make sure you understand that I am not making this up, let me share a couple of quotes that come straight from Andrew Wommack, either from his books or in a few cases, from his sermons posted on the internet.
Wommack writes: "God is not upset. In fact, not only is He not mad at you as a Christian… but He's not mad at unbelievers. God is not about to judge this nation." Some of us might cut him some slack if he were saying that God is never angry with His children, knowing that we are forgiven through the blood of Jesus, but Wommack takes it a step further. He declares God is never angry with sinners, nor will He judge them, at least not in this life. His idea stems from the verse which tells us that Jesus died for the sins of the world. Therefore, even the worst sinners are forgiven and could never go to Hell for their sins. How can you go to Hell for sins that have been forgiven?
Wommack likes to point to the cross of Jesus as a "lightning rod for the wrath of God." He writes: "Jesus was like a lightning rod that drew all the judgment of God unto Himself." In his estimation, all the sins of the world, and God's wrath against those sins, whether committed by Christians or non-Christians, were somehow sucked into the cross of Jesus, and there is no more wrath or punishment for any sin. Therefore, according to Wommack's logic, lying, stealing, and fornicating sinners are walking around just as forgiven, just as righteous, and just as clean, as the godliest follower of Christ.
Repentance Unnecessary
By this logic, sinners do not need to repent of their sins. After all, you cannot repent of sins that have already been forgiven. Wommack writes: "Everybody's sins are paid for. Sin isn't the issue. People aren't going to Hell because of their sin…" This sounds dangerously like universalism: "We're all acceptable to God; we're all saved; we're all going to heaven…"
To his credit, Andrew doesn't go that far. He does acknowledge that sinners will go to Hell, but his logic is feeble. Even though, according to him, sinners have had their sins forgiven by Jesus, if they die without Jesus, they will still go to Hell, where all their sins will be somehow reapplied to them. So, according to him, Jesus forgives them while they are on earth, but upon their death, He un-forgives them and punishes them for their previously forgiven sins.
Another bizarre declaration by Wommack is that nobody can sin while here on earth. Jesus drew all our sins to Himself so people will never go to Hell for any amount of stealing, killing, or adultery that they commit. According to Andrew, there is only one punishable sin we can commit these days: the sin of rejecting Jesus. He writes: "People don't go to Hell because of their sins. They go to Hell because they rejected the payment for their sins. They go to Hell because they refused to receive the Savior." In another place, he writes: "People aren't going to Hell for sexual immorality, lying, or stealing. All of those sins have been paid for. The sin that is going to send people to Hell is the singular sin of rejecting Jesus as their personal Savior."
So, according to Wommack, as we navigate our way through this life on earth, the ordinary things people think of as sins: lying, stealing, killing, committing adultery, and so forth – aren't even sins for us and there is no reason to repent or ask forgiveness. Even the sinner, desperately wanting Jesus in his life, does not need to repent – all his sins were sucked up by the cross and God is not the least bit displeased with him. God is never displeased with anybody, saint or sinner, over anything since Jesus died on the cross. He is continually happy with us all. He never judges, He never rebukes, He never convicts our hearts. But strangely, according to Andrew, if we don't receive Jesus, all the anger Jesus absorbed on the cross for us falls right back on our heads the minute we die. As the saying goes, "You can't make this up."
"Blessed are Those Who Never Hear"
But let's think about this for a minute. If Andrew Wommack is right that there is only one sin that sends people to Hell, which is the sin of not accepting Jesus, then the most blessed people of all, are those who never hear about Jesus. They never have a chance to reject the Savior. And if this is true, the best favor we can do for the world is to call all our missionaries back home. They are not spreading life by sharing Jesus; they are dealing with death and condemnation. If they go to some remote village and preach Jesus to one thousand people who have never heard the gospel, 200 people receive Jesus, and 800 people do not, then 80 percent of those villagers will go to Hell. But if the missionary had just stayed home and left these people in their ignorance, all 1,000 people would have gone to Heaven, never having had a chance to commit the only sin that can send you to Hell, according to Wommack.
Does the New Testament present a God who never gets upset at either Christians or non-Christians, never rebukes, never judges, and is never grieved by our behavior? In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he deals with the subject of ungodly people taking communion in the church. He writes: "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged." (1 Corinthians 11:29-31). Some of these church attendees were living a wicked, carnal life and then boldly coming to church and taking communion. Some were getting sick, and some were even dying. Paul tells the believers they had better judge themselves so that they would not be judged. Doesn't exactly sound like Paul got the Andrew Wommack memo that God never gets upset and never judges anybody.
In the book of Acts, we read of King Herod who was giving a speech, and his audience, eager to court his favor, shouted out: "The voice of a god and not of a man!" The Bible tells us: "Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died." I guess that angel never read Andrew Wommack's book, informing him that the war between God and man was over, and God never judges anyone for anything.
Wommack writes: "Regardless of what you do, God isn't angry with you. He's never going to rebuke you." God won't rebuke us?! What kind of Father would He be? Every father rebukes his children, time and time again. Is God a worse father than we human fathers are? In Hebrews, we are told: "If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." (Hebrews 12:7-8).
"Never Grieved"
Wommack writes: "We've fallen for these thoughts that say… 'The Lord is upset and grieved with your sin." No! Jesus paid for all of your sins.' " He tells us that the Lord is never grieved over our behavior. But Paul commands: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…" Why would the apostle tell us not to grieve the Holy Spirit, if it were not even possible to grieve God?
Again, Wommack insists that God is never angry over sin and that there is only one sin it is possible to commit these days, which is the sin of rejecting Jesus. None of our other sins are "on the books." Yet Paul tells sinners: "In accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds." (Romans 2:5-6). The apostle tells us that every day that goes by, the sinner is storing up more sins and wrath and that he or she will one day receive just punishment for their deeds. Notice "deeds" is plural. He does not say all sinners will pay for their only sin of rejecting Jesus – he says they will go to hell and experience God's wrath for all their deeds.
In Jesus' letter to the seven churches in the second and third chapters of Revelation, He sternly rebukes the church at Pergamos, saying, "You also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth." (Revelation 2:14-16). And to the church at Thyatira, He threatens: "You allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts." (Revelation 2:20-23). Did Jesus somehow miss the Andrew Wommack memo as well?
In the Book of Acts, Ananias and Sapphira fell dead when they got caught lying to the Holy Spirit. Many verses in the Book of Revelation describe the wrath of God falling upon an unbelieving world just before the return of Jesus. Wommack says God can never judge America. The Bible says He will judge America, Russia, China, and every other nation in the last days, in a time so horrible that the world has never seen its equal.
How Could Anybody be THIS WRONG?
How could Andrew Wommack miss it by this much? Wommack seems to feel that it makes God look bad to speak of Him ever being stern or severe. In his mind, God is just a big pussycat; He's soft, warm, and fuzzy, and nothing ever bothers Him. After Jesus' death on the cross, He doesn't sweat sin anymore. Let ungodly men and women live as they like and do what they want – no problem. Andrew constantly insists that his view of this never-get-upset God will help people discover God's love, whereas if you keep bringing up God's wrath, they will get the feeling that God does not love anyone. But when you look at the life of Jesus, you find that our Savior, while being very compassionate, could also become extremely upset with hypocrites, and He referred to Hell more than anyone in the Bible.
In a way, Wommack reminds me of the political hacks who spin events to promote their agenda. Wommack feels he is doing God a favor by making Him the most positive, nicest, sweetest, most easy-going God we could ever imagine. He writes: "The reason Christianity isn't having a bigger impact upon our world than it is today is that we aren't preaching this message." In other words, if we would just preach like he does, and tell people God never gets mad or upset over anything, we'd get bigger crowds. We should be insisting that there is never a reason to repent of our sins, because, in God's eyes, they do not exist. If a man ever asks God to forgive him for beating his wife, God replies: "What wife, what beating? I didn't see a thing."
If Andrew Wommack were the only minister teaching these things, it would hardly be worth mentioning. But there are numerous other ministers, some of them on television with many thousands of fans, who are likewise spreading this nonsense.
You are never doing God a favor by misrepresenting Him. To create some kind of namby-pamby, chilled-out, never-get-upset pseudo-god, and ignore what the Bible so plainly says is foolishness. Such a god is a fake god, a non-god, and is certainly not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And He is not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor is He the God Paul wrote about. In our efforts to win men and women to Jesus, let us present God in His totality: righteous, holy, compassionate, kind, severe, loving, and just. The Bible indeed says, "God is love." It also tells us, "Our God is a consuming fire."
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