The parents of Moses overcame the prince of this world by faith. How boldly they defied the murderous order of Pharaoh that would have given Moses to the river and the crocodiles. They were "not afraid," the Holy Spirit declares.
Moses, too, was one who believed and overcame, overcoming the power of this world by refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. The implication is that he was actually offered Egypt's throne and a seat in Egypt's pantheon as the son of the sun. He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, es‑teeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. His vision of the Son of God gave him the grace and power to overcome the world.
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Last, Rahab overcame the punishment of this world. Before long the trumpet would sound and Jericho's walls would come tumbling down. She believed what she had heard about God's redeeming His people from Egypt, and now they were on their way to Canaan, and not all of Jericho's walls and warriors could stop the approaching doom. By faith she hung that scarlet line in her window, thus signifying her trust in the Son of God — a human ancestress of whom, indeed, she actually became.
"Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (5:5). Once that great truth is enthroned in our hearts, our attitude toward this world changes. We see the world as He saw it and the world sees us as it saw Him, and a great gulf is fixed.
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Adapted from Exploring the Epistles of John: An Expository Commentary by John Phillips. Used by permission of Kregel Publications. The John Phillips Commentary Series from Kregel is available at your local or online Christian bookseller, or contact Kregel at (800) 733-2607.
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John Phillips is a popular preacher and Bible study leader who now resides in Bowling Green, KY.