We saw, in a passage of Scripture a week or two ago, how great the condescension of Jesus Christ was. Though He was equal with God, yet He took upon himself the form of a servant; and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death--the death of the Cross. Our text now teaches us what this was for. "He gave Himself _for us_." Now, I will ask you, could God show His concern for us in a more striking and convincing way than in the _giving_ of His Son to ignominy and death? Could Jesus, the Son of God, show His love for men in any more convincing way than in _giving Himself_ for their recovery and salvation? Then, surely we ought to lay aside our habitual way of thinking of God as our enemy, and think of Him as our best friend. For no human friend ever did for us what God has done for us. And if we judge of one's love for us by the sacrifices he makes for us, then must we give the crown to Jesus, who was God manifest in the flesh. He bore our sins; He would bear our burdens, if we would throw them on Him; He would fill us with His spirit, and with power, if we would trust Him and believe His promise. But did He give Himself for us that we might remain _in sin_, and yet not be punished? This is what the Universalists say. But no! He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us _from_ iniquity, and from _all_ iniquity at that. He was manifested to deliver us from the _guilt_ of our past sins; and, second, to deliver us from the dominion and power of sin, that being free from sin, we might live unto God. And that man who thinks he has been pardoned for past sins is mistaken, unless he also has been saved from the _power_ of sin, so as no longer to be led captive by the devil. Let not what I say discourage anybody. If you have not been saved from the power of evil and of evil habits, you may be saved, and that here and now. The fact is, many of us are so selfish, we just want to be delivered from the danger, but not from the practice, of sin. Some of us enjoy sin. If some who are here could have _all_ desire for liquor utterly taken away by raising a hand, they would, perhaps, not raise a hand, because they love liquor too well. If some could be utterly and forever freed from lust by bowing their heads, they would not be willing to bow their heads, because they find so much pleasure in lust and in lewd thoughts, feelings and acts, that they do not _desire_ to be freed from that which gives them this low, animal pleasure. And yet these same men will profess to have great desires to be cleansed from their sins. But, if you are willing, Christ is ready and able to deliver you from all these base and beastly passions and habits. What do you say? Do you want to be redeemed from all iniquity to-night?