Worboys and Eternal Hell

The Head of the Parole Board has resigned. That organisation’s decision to release early from prison John Worboys has been condemned by politicians and members of the public alike. Worboys is one of Britain’s most prolific sex-attackers. Although convicted of twelve rapes and sexual assaults ten years ago, police suspect he may have been responsible for over a hundred in total. Known as the Black Cab Rapist, he carried around a ‘rape kit’ in the boot of his Fiat Punto, containing champagne miniatures, plastic gloves, a torch, vibrators, condoms, sleeping tablets and an ashtray with which he would crush up drugs. Upon hearing of his receiving an ‘indeterminate’ sentence, one victim said: "A lot of women will be sleeping a lot easier tonight".

The decision to release him early was therefore horrifically bizarre and the Parole Board chief’s resignation was rightly accepted. Certainly, a lot of women were given cause for sleepless nights. A man of his disposition is clearly a constant threat to women; locking him away is the only measure, short of the hangman’s noose and castration, that will prevent further attacks and ruined lives.

Some people question the biblical doctrine of hell. Even those who accept the necessity of separating the sheep from the goats are uncomfortable with the concept of eternal separation. No chance of forgiveness, no hope of reconciliation. Leaving aside the punitive aspect of hell, the Worboys case makes it clear to me why hell must be eternal. Those who refused to accept God’s forgiveness via the cross of Christ also rejected the Spirit’s sanctifying work and the need to live lives pleasing to God. The Creator will not allow the possibility of an unredeemed human from setting foot in paradise. They would simply corrupt and warp it, as they did in Eden. To release from judgement souls unwashed by Christ’s blood is like freeing Warboys and giving him a set of car keys.

And if your right-hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Matthew 5:30 (ESV)

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