Robbo

Clive Robertson is a well-known Australian radio personality, now retired. A stirrer to the end, Robbo reminds us that a Christian is a world-weary cynic, not heaven-weary. What many Australians don't know is that as well as liking pretty women (as Robbo puts it, "God created beautiful creatures, pretty ladies and gave me an appreciation of them") he is a committed believer, a believer who understands and accepts the free grace of God and his own imperfect humanity. He gave an interview recently and spoke about his best friend Jesus.

"Were you like C.S. Lewis, dragged kicking and screaming to the gates of heaven?"

"No, no, no. I don't know when I first knew God at all. Unfortunately, I hadn't been told the truth that I had been forgiven, that I am loved and that I didn't have to carry the burden of guilt. No-one actually said it to me. If they did, they didn't say it in a way that I understood.

So, for years I felt that I had to earn salvation and every time I failed; I felt it was my fault. I thought for some reason, even though I read a lot of it, that the Bible was a list of instructions. What I didn't see was the fact that I was saved from all that.

I fail a lot, but God knew I would. But, I come back and I say sorry. Then it's pat, pat, cuddle, cuddle - it's wonderful. He's my absolutely best friend."

"What were some of the landmarks leading to the crystallization of your faith?"

"It is all very vague. My father was a lay preacher and I used to listen to him. I felt close to God most of my life, except of course, when I pushed God away.

You know, when we do the wrong thing, the first thing that happens is we can't speak to God. Satan says, "That's unforgivable what you did" and you say "yes and I feel like I can't be forgiven." You can't talk to God because you've offended him. So, many people fall by the way instead of saying I'm sorry. Then you can reach a stage of being honest with God. You say to God, "Will you please show me as much as I can stand?"

So, he shows you and you feel worse and worse as the months go by. But there's an opposing graph that shows God's grace and God's love. We are not talking about someone who is an alien with six heads. We are talking about a man who knows how to suffer and who made us. My old line is, he knows all the hairs of our head, and he knows where all mine have gone. I really don't have a testimony as such because I didn't do anything."

lectionarystudies.com