Many of us are prisoners of our past:
•the things we have done
•the things that have been done to us
•Some would say, “I’m free of everything, except my past.” The truth is, if you can’t get free from your past, you can’t get free of anything.

The statement we will continue to come back to throughout this series:
Your past has no more power over you than what you give it.

Paul wants to know Christ in two specific ways:
•The power of His resurrection - The resurrection was not a past event, but rather it was a present reality in the life of the believer.
•The participation in His sufferings - Jesus did not come as a conquering king, but rather His power was found in serving, in humility, and in weakness, even if it led to suffering.

Knowing Christ in this way means we identify with Christ:
•Identify with his death - a death to self
•Identify with his resurrection - a resurrection to real life

The Easter message connects directly with power over your past
•Paul is forgetting what is behind, and He is moving forward.
•It is removing the power of what’s behind to hinder him in the now. It is not removing the actual memory of the past, but its weight.
•Easter holds the promise of freedom from your past - “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1).

For many the burden of shame seems to heavy for true freedom to be possible
•Shame is the belief that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.
•Believing that “I’m unlovable” and “I don’t belong”.

•The message from the religious leaders to this woman was clear: “Shame on you.”
•For Jesus, there is a clear difference between conviction and condemnation.
•Conviction corrects...condemnation shames...

Our church’s definition of The Gospel:
The Gospel is the good news message that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. He was raised to life, victorious over the power of death. In choosing to live for Him, we can be free from the power of sin and experience abundant life today and eternal life in Heaven.

The Gospel message is not a message of condemnation.
•Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins
•On Easter he roster again, overcoming death, conquering sin and shame
•No matter what our past is, we can experience freedom in Christ today

Other Verses for Study & Reflection:

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Isaiah‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭
"Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood."

Romans 10:11
As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame."