Al was a clerk in a grocery store, and well thought of by everyone who knew Him. He was a “good living” chap too, and a member of the local church which he attended regularly. There was also another young man in the same town who was respected by all. He was the local dentist. People said they liked him, except for one thing. He . . .
But to start at the beginning of our story, it was because of a bad toothache that Al first became acquainted with the dentist. When he went to his office, he found a little gospel tract lying on the table and he began to read while waiting for his appointment.
When he was finally seated in the dental chair, the friendly dentist asked him if he liked the gospel tract he had been reading.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Are you saved?” was the next question.
“I don’t know what you mean,” said Al. “I go to church and Sunday School too, and no one ever asked me that before.”
That was all he had time to say, for he had to open his mouth wide and let the dentist begin his work. While the dentist worked, he talked, explaining earnestly that the Lord Jesus is the only Saviour of sinners. It is not optional. It is necessary. God commands us to repent, and to turn to the Lord Jesus and accept Him as our Saviour.
Al’s mouth was wide open as the dentist worked on his teeth, so he could not talk, but he could think. He thought himself good enough, treasurer and librarian of the Sunday School, and no one had the right to talk as if he needed to be saved. Now he knew what it was that people did not like about the new dentist, and he felt the same! When his tooth was fixed he strode out of the office. It would be a long time before the dentist got a chance to talk to him again!
It was a long time too. If he saw the dentist coming he would cross the street rather than say “Good morning” to him. But another tooth began to ache, and there was no other dentist as handy as this one. He put if off as long as he could, but finally he just had to be seated in the same dental chair and have it attended to.
The dentist guessed the feelings of his patient. He knew there were many who did not like him to speak to them about the Lord Jesus, but he was not discouraged. Very gently he opened the subject again, for this was more important to him than dentistry. He reminded Al that it was God who had said, All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. It was not just his opinion. He told Al that he was either a saved sinner or a lost sinner. His patient could not answer, but he began to see that it was God who was speaking to his soul and not just the dentist.
After a few unhappy days, during which the dentist was praying for Al, they met on the street and Al did not try to slip away as he had before. He wanted to have peace with God.
“Will you come with me to a meeting?” asked the dentist.
Perhaps this would give him the peace he longed for, and so off they went together. As the speaker told simply and earnestly the good news of salvation through faith in Christ alone, the light broke into his soul. He saw that he was a sinner, and that his “good works” in which he had been trusting were of no avail in the presence of a holy God.
At last by faith he saw the Lord Jesus taking his place and bearing his sins on the cross of Calvary. He heard that cry, “It is finished”—he believed it, and was saved. The finished work of Christ was just what he needed, and oh, what peace filled his soul as he trusted in the Word of God telling him that he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.
Therefore being justified by faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1