Stanton W. Cobb

Stanton W. Cobb is Assistant Professor of Restorative Sciences at Baylor College of Dentistry/ Texas A&M University System in Dallas, Texas.

Biographical Information

Dr. Stanton W. Cobb earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Texas Wesleyan College in Fort Worth Texas and a D.D.S. in 1983 from Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Cobb worked as an instructor in the Department of Periodontics in 1984 before establishing a family practice in the Panhandle town of Spearman Texas. In 1997, Stanton returned to the Dallas area where he was appointed Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Dentistry. The directorship of the Dallas Area Christian Medical and Dental Associations came to him in 1999. Dr. Cobb received a Master of Arts in Biblical studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2003. In 2004, Dr. Cobb was appointed Director of Operative Dentistry, a position he now shares with a colleague. Baylor University Medical Center recently appointed him to the dental staff for the treatment of medically compromised patients. Dr. Cobb is a member of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. In addition, Dr. Cobb has been recognized by many organizations for his humanitarian and teaching efforts in the U.S. and abroad and has received awards for both.

Stanton and his wife Pamela have two grown daughters.

My Personal Story

The assassination of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the Vietnam War, and Woodstock were all part of my childhood. I grew up in the sixties and early seventies. I was raised in suburban, middle-class America, the son of a Texas dentist and a homemaker. My parents were products of the Great Depression, World War II, and poverty stricken childhoods. My parents believed, like many of their era, in hard work, a sense of right and wrong, and had a desire for their children to get a good education. These were all things which they passed on to me, with the possible argument about the issue of hard work. Because of my parents’ backgrounds, school was of utmost importance. In fact, it was so important that I actually began college while still in high school, unusual in that day and time. I excelled in the sciences and, therefore, chose science to be my pursuit. Growing up in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, there were some things you did not think about, you just did: like Friday night football games, mowing the yard on Saturday, and church on Sunday morning. Even so, I just had a few clear ideas about God, and I was more than willing to sweep them out the door while in college. Courses on the evolution of animals and the emergence of man made me convinced that at the very best I could only be an agnostic; that is to say, I questioned whether there was a God. I was a hard working student, a hard working salesman, and worked hard at partying in my leisure time. I worked at all three. I finished college and was easily accepted into Baylor College of Dentistry. It was there, in the difficulties of graduate school, that I began to experience an emptiness in my life, a void. In spite of the busyness of my life, I was bored. In spite of a very meaningful task I had undertaken, I felt it was meaningless. In spite of my friends, I was lonely. Having been raised by strong, self-sufficient people, I felt I just needed to straighten myself up. So I quit partying so much, tried to improve my friendships, and even frequented church to no avail. My discontent continued to linger. One Friday night after supper at my parents’ home, I asked my brother, who I knew to be a Christian, if he would like to go with me to a bar. He wasn’t too enthusiastic about the idea, but agreed to go when I told him I was just going to see friends. We had been there only a few minutes when I was ready to leave. On the way home I told my brother that I was missing something in my life. He listened as I explained the void and loneliness I felt. He told me that he and a friend had been praying for me. In fact, they got together to pray for me once a week, and on top of that, they had been doing this for several months. He told me I needed Jesus Christ in my life. Although I wasn’t sure what that meant, I explained to him the way I had straightened up and was even going to church. He ignored me and spoke only of a relationship with Jesus Christ. He explained that it didn’t matter how good I was; I still fell short of perfection which was what God was, perfect. He also explained that falling short of what God’s standards were was sin. Well, I had fallen very short of what God would probably want me to be, so I knew I was a sinner. He told me that the Bible taught that all people have sinned. Not only that, but the wages of my sin, my behavior, my life so far was death and would mean separation from God forever. I said, “You are talking about Hell.” He nodded yes and then explained that I was choosing to go to Hell, but God had another way. I said, “Explain.” He said since I was not perfect, that God had a plan and that plan involved Jesus. My brother explained that Jesus was God’s Son; He was perfect, and when He died on the cross that He was being punished for my sin. I said, “Because Christ was perfect and died, He was like a substitute for me.” He nodded yes. I said, “You mean to tell me that God sent His Son to die in my place.” He said, “Yes, the Bible says that while you were a sinner, Christ died for you.” I asked, “Why?” He said, “Because He loves you.” He continued: After Christ died they buried Him, and He was raised from the dead to prove that He was who He said He was, God’s son, and He is now in Heaven. He said, “You can’t buy your way there, work your way there, or study your way there. Not only that, but you can’t be good enough to gain this freedom from eternal suffering in Hell and gain eternal life with God. You can get heaven and forgiveness only by accepting Jesus as your Savior; that means that He died and was punished for your sins and was buried and brought back to life.” He explained that this was a gift from God; I only had to trust and believe that Christ was my substitute, that I had to depend on Him alone for this eternal life in Heaven. That night in my apartment I told God I knew I was a sinner, that I deserved to be punished. I told Him I was glad He loved me enough to die for me; and I believed He died, was buried and raised on my behalf, and that I trusted Him as my Savior; and I wanted to live my life for Him, and thanked Him. Now after so many years, I am still astounded by what John 5:24, a verse in the Bible explains: He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and will not come into judgment but has passed from death into life. It is such an assurance to know that because I trust in Christ alone as my Savior, I have an everlasting life promised to me in Heaven, and no one can take that away. You too can have this life. In the same way I received it, you can also. Would you like to place your trust in Jesus Christ right now?