Immanuel, Not a Manual
“For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out… Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
— Romans 7:18–25
As this year closes, I want to offer a simple encouragement: all that is truly good in us is not produced by our sincere desires, our discipline, or our effort. It is the work of God. Yes, we experience good and even do good, but Scripture reminds us—clearly and graciously—that every good thing is from Him and through Him. Yes, He will “complete the good work He has begun” (Phil 1:6), but it is His work, not mine.
I have long desired to be the kind of Christian who always pleases God. I tried. I failed. I tried again. And again. Eventually I gave up trying to make myself change and lifted my eyes—away from me, toward Him. And what I could not do, He began to do.
God knows we are limited. He knows we carry the handicap of sin, something we cannot cure by willpower, commitment, or self-improvement. So God does what only God can do.
God shows up
“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them… And the angel said, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy… For unto you is born this day… a Savior.’”
— Luke 2:9–11
He provided that remedy, indeed the only remedy for our deadly sin disease. This remedy is the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus. We did not go get Him, God sent Him. Without Him, no savior, with Him rescue. Yet, without Him no way we can live up to the life He enabled via His forgiveness
So God shows up…
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”
— Matthew 1:23
And God stays.
He did not simply come and go. Jesus came, returned to the Father, and then sent the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—to live within us. Wow! We are new creatures who are still learning how to freely live as people who now have God Himself dwelling within.
Jesus speaking: “I am the vine; you are the branches… apart from Me you can do nothing.”
— John 15:5
Our inability is real. Our desire is real. Our struggle is real. But Jesus is even more real. Apart from Him we can do nothing. We can grit our teeth, starve ourselves, beat ourselves up…but ‘nothing’! We are at a loss.
Again, God comes to the rescue…
“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
— Philippians 2:13
This is the life of Christ: not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). God does not demand that we generate goodness; He inhabits those who invite Him in and accomplishes His good purposes in and through us.
So why the title, “Immanuel, Not a Manual”? 
I help lead a men’s group at church. We’ve read books, watched studies, and worked through topics like:
- Becoming a Christian man (Wild at Heart — John Eldredge)
- Navigating a judgmental world (Unoffendable — Brant Hansen)
- Growing in relational wisdom (Ken Sande)
These are helpful resources—good, even valuable. But they cannot change a heart. They can provide insight, perspective, tools, and disciplines… but they cannot transform. They require me to apply effort in order to benefit from them. They are not, and cannot be, a manual for transformation.
Our Monday group is wonderful. It builds fellowship, accountability, and encouragement. But only God can actually make me more like Christ. Only God, who created me, can transform me from the inside out—and that is exactly what He intends to do.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom… And we all… are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:17–18 
A friend of mine once said, “The Bible is like a diet book that makes you lose weight just by reading it.” There’s truth there. The more we sit before the Lord—seeking to know Him, lingering in His presence, aligning ourselves with His Word—the more He changes us. He transforms us into the image of Jesus, who does all things perfectly.
So by being myself—no pretending, no striving, no performing—I can become the man God desires me to be. He will live His life through me. He will empower me to navigate this world, build loving relationships, and walk in wisdom.
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.”
— Matthew 1:23
Not us for Him — Him through us.
Merry Christmas, my friends.
TG