Never one to shy away from sharing his unvarnished opinion, Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson has lived a very interesting life. On radio this morning, Robertson joined Glenn to candidly discuss his path from “rank heathen” to “biblically correct” believer. While Robertson “ran with the wicked” for the first 28 years of his life, he found a way to “run with the Godly” for the last 40 years, and he is now trying to help others do the same.
“I was just a rank heathen… I've been an immoral heathen, [and] drunk, and I didn't even know what the Gospel of Jesus was,” Robertson admitted. “When I heard [the gospel] at 28, all I can say is… I coughed up my sins, which were many… I traveled with the wicked… So the bottom line is: I ran with the wicked for 28 years, Beck, and I've now run with the Godly for the last 40.”
As Robertson explained, the contrast between those two lifestyles is “astounding.” Glenn asked him to explain the path that led him to find Jesus. Robertson’s wife – known as “Miss Kay” on the hugely popular A&E show – played a major role.
After years of “running” his family and friends off, Miss Kay finally convinced Robertson to sit down with “the guy who came into the beer joint… with a Bible in his hand.”
“I took Miss Kay's advice and I talked to the guy,” Robertson said. “He shared Jesus with me… His death for my sins, His resurrection. I thought, ‘My goodness, how in the world did I ever miss that?’ I wasn't even aware of the one I had been counting time by, you know. It is 2014 A.D.”
What Robertson realized in retrospect is that he was essentially trapped by the life he was living. It was not until he “came into the light” that he realized the depths of where he had been.
“Once I saw and I came into the light, and I renounced darkness, and I breathed a sigh of relief, I thought, ‘My goodness, what have I been doing,’” Robertson said. “I didn't realize… what a trap I had been in until I was released from the trap. Once I was released from the trap, and I looked back at where I'd been, it scared the daylights out of me.”
Because of what he has overcome in his life, Robertson has dedicated the last few decades to helping other people overcome their own obstacles. Robertson believes that he can show a nonbeliever or someone who has lost their way the “mighty throne” the grace of God has given them.
“I'll show you a mighty throne,” Robertson concluded. “That's kind of my story on where I came from and why I'm here. I was just afraid that if I didn't get this out, someone may miss it like I had for 28 years. So the reason I'm so motivated to answer your question to tell them is because I'm afraid they'll miss it and I love them.”
Front page image courtesy of the AP
