Warren W. Wiersbe - Jesus in the Present Tense: The I AM Statements of Christ

What people are saying about

Jesus in the Present Tense

In a day when many are offering cotton-candy theology, Warren Wiersbe takes us to the meat, bread, milk, and honey of the Word of God.

From the foreword by Michael Catt, senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, GA, and executive producer of Sherwood Pictures

Who Jesus Christ is really matters, now and for eternity. Warren Wiersbe brilliantly explores the great I AMness of Jesus. Its good to know who Christ is, but knowing what He can do for you is a matter of life and death, literally.

Palmer Chinchen, PhD , speaker and author of True Religion and God Cant Sleep

What people are saying about

Warren W. Wiersbe

Warren Wiersbe is one of the greatest Bible expositors of our generation.

Billy Graham, evangelist

Dr. Wiersbes unique style is not overly academic, but theologically sound. He explains the deep truths of Scripture in a way that everyone can understand and apply. Whether youre a Bible scholar or a brand-new believer in Christ, you will benefit, as I have, from Warrens insights.

Ken Baugh, pastor of Coast Hills Community Church, Aliso Viejo, CA

JESUS IN THE PRESENT TENSE

Published by David C Cook

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David C Cook Distribution Canada

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David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

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The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights.

Bible credits appear on pages 193194.

LCCN 2010939816

ISBN 978-0-7814-0487-7

eISBN 978-0-7814-0592-8

2011 Warren W. Wiersbe

The Team: Don Pape, Karen Lee-Thorp, Sarah Schultz, Jack Campbell, Karen Athen

Cover Design: Amy Kiechlin

Cover Photo: iStockphoto

First Edition 2011

Contents

Foreword by Michael Catt

They say you judge a book by its cover. Ive tried not to do that. Although I have nearly ten thousand books in my library, I seek to judge a book by the author and content. Covers can be misleading. Content is revealing.

As the author or editor of nearly two hundred books, Warren Wiersbe writes content that reveals a man who walks with God, listens to God, and knows Gods Word intimately. The book you hold in your hands is no exception.

One of the first books I ever purchased as a young minister was one of Warren Wiersbes BE series commentaries. That book helped me to stay balanced in my understanding of the Scriptures. As a pastor, I always check my Wiersbe commentaries to make sure Im balanced on my interpretation of a text.

Warren Wiersbe is respected by Sunday school teachers and seminary professors. He is read by laymen and scholars. His insights have helped millions of students of Gods Word.

In the 1990s, I finally got to meet Warren and his wife, Betty. Sometimes when you meet an author, you can see a vast difference between the person and the print. Not so with Warren. He lives what he writes. He loves the Lord he writes about. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to know him as a friend, encourager, and advisor. When I talk to him, I have pen and paper ready, because I know theres going to be a nugget of truth to write down and remember. I cherish every opportunity to talk most of all, to listen.

This newest book from the desk of Dr. Wiersbe is what I would call Classic Wiersbe. Jesus in the Present Tense is a journey through the I AM statements of our Lord (and a few other statements, as you will discover). These pages reveal the difference Christ makes today in the lives of those who embrace the truth. You will have a greater grasp of who Jesus is and what He wants to do in your life today.

Jesus in the Present Tense is a reminder that our Lord is not a distant deity, nor is He just a figure of history. He is the living God, the great I AM. Dr. Wiersbe guides us through a practical and applicable study of these statements. While these statements are familiar, we often forget they are for us today, not just for those who heard them in the first century.

When you read this book, youll love Jesus more. Youll see how the divine life is intended to work itself out in daily living. Many books today seek to water down truth to make it more acceptable, but not this one. This book will stretch you to look to the Lord daily for all your needs.

In a day when many are offering cotton-candy theology, Warren Wiersbe takes us to the meat, bread, milk, and honey of the Word of God. The content is sound and scriptural. May the I AM speak to you, as He did to me.

Michael Catt
Senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia
Executive producer of Sherwood Pictures

Preface

There is no substitute for Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can save us from our sins and give us the grace we need to live for Him. If you want fullness of life, you have to go to Jesus.

The way we relate to the Lord determines how He will relate to us. Come near to God and he will come near to you (James 4:8). Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Its a tragedy for us to have an active life and then at the end discover that nothing we did would last.

No leader, no author, no organization, and no set of religious disciplines can do for us what Jesus alone can do, if we let Him . Even the book you are now reading can merely point the way to Jesus. Divine truth becomes dynamic life only when we yield to Jesus by faith and follow Him. If the founders of the worlds philosophies and religious systems were alive on earth today, they could only say, I was. They are dead, and they cant personally help you. Jesus doesnt say, I was. He is alive and says, I AM. He can meet our needs today. He is alive this very moment and offers us a satisfying spiritual life in the present tense . Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8). Past history, present reality, and future certainty all unite today in Jesus Christ, the great I AM.

The I AM statements recorded in Scripture reveal the depths of the Christian life and how Gods children can go deeper by living with Jesus in the present tense. With Paul we should be able to say, The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20).

Note that phrase: The life I now live.

In our memories and imaginations, we try to live in the past or in the future, but this doesnt produce a balanced or creative Christian life. Someone has said that the good old days are a mixture of a bad memory and a good imagination, and I agree. My past may discourage me and my future may frighten me, but the life I now live today can be enriching and encouraging because Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). As we live by faith, a day at a time, Jesus enables us to be faithful and fruitful and content.

God doesnt want us to ignore the past; the past should be a rudder to guide us, not an anchor to hold us back. Nor does He want us to neglect planning for the future, so long as we say, If it is the Lords will (James 4:1317). The better we understand our Lords I AM statements and by faith apply them, the more our strength will equal our days (Deut. 33:25) and we will run and not grow weary [and] walk and not be faint (Isa. 40:31). We will abide in Christ and bear fruit for His glory todaynow.