‘Monster Father’ on Trial

He imprisoned his own daughter in a dirty cramped basement dungeon for twenty-four long horrific years. He fathered seven children by her, three of which never saw the light of day until the gruesome diabolical lifestyle of Josef Fritz was revealed. One of the infants reportedly died due to lack of medical attention, something that could add murder to the list of pending charges. If convicted, the Austrian faces up to thirty-five years in prison – a seeming slap on the wrist in comparison to the magnitude of his crimes and the agony he inflicted.

It is simply impossible to imagine this form of evil and the pain felt by his helpless victims. But with that in mind, there are at least two overriding biblical themes that must be kept in mind.

First, regardless of the penalty inflicted by the human courts, there may well be a far more serious judgement to follow for a Josef Fritz. The Scriptures abound concerning the fate of those who die in their sins and apart from God’s great redemptive plan. Romans 1:18 reads, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” And in Luke 12:4-5 the Lord warns, "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”

The Bible assures that God’s dealings with sinful unregenerate man will be fully just – something assumed by Abraham when he pleaded for the few innocent souls in Sodom. “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25)

Secondly, while a ‘monster father’ may well face the eternal wrath of God, and deservedly so, the Bible also reveals that even the worst of the worst are not beyond the grace of God. The Apostle Paul himself is perhaps the ultimate illustration. Speaking of his own life and guilt in 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 he declared, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.”

Then back in 1 Corinthians 6 he expands on the scope of God’s salvation. The offer includes the remarkable forgiveness of all sin and any sinner through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Verse 9 begins, “Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” But verse eleven quickly turns the theological corner and reveals the extent of God’s stunning mercy. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

The word ‘washed’ means to be redeemed or set free by having a ransom price paid. ‘Sanctified’ means to be viewed by God as holy. And the term ‘justified’ means to be seen as though one had literally never even sinned at all. As a once popular Christian song put it, “Calvary covers it all.”

The basic bottom line is this: God will rightly judge those who remain in their sin and will fully forget the sins of those who trust Christ and remain in His eternal protective care.

"Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17)

Bill Breckenridge

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