Living Water #615

LIVING WATER – EPISODE 615 || 9TH FEBRUARY, 2026

By Solomon Uwumbolibe Mensah

THE CROSS THAT CANCELS, LIBERATES, AND TRIUMPHS

Scripture Reading: Colossians 2:14–15 (NIV)

“having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

The cross of Christ is far more than a religious symbol; it is a legal transaction, a spiritual liberation, and a public victory. Paul writes to the Colossians to make it clear that Christianity is not about self-improvement but resurrection. It is not negotiation but cancellation, not survival but triumph. This passage speaks directly to individuals burdened by guilt, to businesses struggling under unseen pressures, and to institutions trapped in cycles of failure, corruption, or fear. In one powerful act, the cross addresses personal sin, systemic debt, and spiritual opposition all at once.

FROM DEATH TO LIFE

Paul declares that we were dead in our sins, not weak, confused, or misguided, but completely dead. Dead people cannot fix themselves, dead systems cannot reform themselves, and dead institutions cannot rebrand themselves into life. Life must come from outside. That is why the text says God made us alive with Christ. Salvation begins with God, not with effort, policy, capital, or strategy. For individuals, this means past failures did not disqualify you—Christ resurrected you. For businesses, it means a failing enterprise can receive new life when aligned with God’s purpose. For institutions, it means decline is not final when God breathes resurrection life. The cross is where dead things receive life again.

TOTAL FORGIVENESS

Paul emphasizes that God forgave us all our sins—not some, not manageable ones, and not respectable ones, but all. This forgiveness is comprehensive, covering moral failure, ethical compromise, corporate wrongdoing, and institutional injustice. The blood of Christ does not discriminate. For individuals, this means shame has no legal right to stay. For businesses, it means past unethical decisions do not have to define the future. For institutions, it means historical wrongs can be forgiven, healed, and redeemed. Forgiveness is not denial; it is divine clearance.

THE CANCELLATION OF LEGAL INDEBTEDNESS

Paul now uses courtroom language, explaining that there was a written record against us—a charge sheet, a debt ledger that stood in condemnation. Spiritually, individuals carried moral debt, businesses accumulated ethical debt, and institutions bore systemic debt. But Jesus did not renegotiate the debt, reduce it, or defer payment. He paid it in full and then nailed the record to the cross publicly. For individuals, this means you do not owe God penance because Christ already paid. For businesses, righteous leadership allows God to clear invisible liabilities. For institutions, God can dismantle cycles of condemnation and accusation. What was nailed to the cross cannot be reclaimed.

THE DISARMING OF POWERS AND AUTHORITIES

The cross was not only about sin; it was also about power. Paul says that Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities—forces behind fear, systems behind oppression, and spirits behind corruption, greed, pride, and injustice. Jesus did not negotiate with them; He stripped them of authority. This defeat was public, exposing and shaming the enemy and overruling their claims. For individuals, addiction, fear, and condemnation lost their authority. For businesses, spiritual opposition against growth, integrity, and purpose is broken. For institutions, powers that thrive on chaos and control are dethroned by the cross. What once controlled you no longer has weapons.

THE CROSS AS A TRIUMPH, NOT A TRAGEDY

Rome viewed the cross as humiliation, but heaven declared it victory. What looks like loss, feels like weakness, and appears like failure is actually God’s victory platform. Because of the cross, believers do not fight for victory but from victory. For individuals, this means living forgiven rather than fearful. For businesses, it means operating from purpose rather than panic. For institutions, it means governing with courage rather than control. The cross rewrites the definition of success.

Colossians 2:13–15 declares three eternal truths: we were made alive, our debt was canceled, and our enemies were defeated. This is not just theology; it is authority, freedom, and direction. The cross revives the dead, clears the guilty, and topples invisible powers.

CALL TO ACTION

Individuals are called to stop carrying what was nailed to the cross. Businesses are called to align their operations with kingdom values and walk in freedom. Institutions are called to submit their systems to Christ’s lordship and experience renewal. Do not merely admire the cross; stand firmly in its victory.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the cross of Christ. Where there was death, You released life. Where there was debt, You declared it canceled. Where there were powers, You triumphed. Today we receive the fullness of that victory in our lives, our work, and our institutions. Let resurrection power speak louder than history, and let the triumph of Christ be seen through us. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.