THE TOOTHACHE

© 2012 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

Have you ever had a toothache? Last weekend, I suffered from a toothache that caused the whole right side of my jaw to hurt. I had never experienced such a toothache before. The pain was incredible, and I was astounded at how completely it consumed all of my attention. I barely survived each six hour time period between pain killer doses. The last hour and a half of each dosing period was sheer agony. Although I detest dental visits, one of the things that kept me going this past weekend was anticipation of my scheduled emergency dental visit on Monday morning. My hope was that the dentist would fix it, and the pain would be gone.

Today, following my dental visit, the refilling of a cracked tooth, and the beginning of antibiotic therapy, I am beginning to feel a little better as evidenced by the fact that I am writing this article. As I thought about all of this, however, I realized that the agony I suffered from the toothache is just a tiny picture of the agony that awaits unsaved folks in eternity. Listen to God’s Word as He describes the unending torment of those who never cry out to God for His forgiveness of sin. “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name (Revelation 14:11).”

Those who end up enduring such torment will probably wish they could trade it for a weekend toothache. But because they never asked God to forgive and cleanse them from sin, on the basis of Christ’s blood, they will be without hope. Notice that they will endure this awful agony “forever and ever.” There will be no doctor or dentist to relieve their pain. They will have no hope of any future deliverance. The agony will simply consume their entire being “forever and ever.”

Dear Reader: Christ is God the Son! I plead with you. Cry out and ask Him to save you and mercifully deliver you from sin by His blood. Flee from the wrath to come (Luke 3:7)!

 

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