Kim Eun Hee – Kallos https://kallos.com.sg Tue, 26 Dec 2023 10:28:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://kallos.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Websitelogo_oct2020-01.png Kim Eun Hee – Kallos https://kallos.com.sg 32 32 Dig Deeper: Are All Gods The Same? https://kallos.com.sg/2019/11/24/dig-deeper-are-all-gods-the-same/ Sat, 23 Nov 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://kallos.com.sg/?p=10667

But are all religions the same? 

Most religions address the most important issues in life: Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going? These beliefs form the core of our identity and what we call ‘worldview’. This directly influences how we live, the decisions that we make and what we consider meaningful in life.

Let us consider a few examples:

A. There is no real meaning in life; it is all about my enjoyment.
B. If we do enough good, we can go to paradise. If we do wrong, we will be punished for it.
C. There is a Creator who created us and there is a purpose for our lives.

Let’s pause and reflect on each choice.

How do you think these different views would affect how we live? What if we tried to believe in all three? How would that work out? All religions and even a worldview that rejects religion seek to answer life’s questions, but each answer leads us to a very different path in life. We will have to choose which path to take, as we certainly cannot walk on two roads at the same time.

Do we all worship the same God?

The word ‘God’ is used commonly with an assumption that we are all referring to the same ‘God’. But when we go deeper in our conversations, we find out that what we each mean by ‘God’ can be worlds apart. Some may think God can be manipulated or appeased for protection and blessings. For others, God is distant and disinterested in our daily affairs. Then there are those who view God as an angry, vengeful old man in white robes. Yet others consider God to be found in everything or in something that they have made. There are also those who deny that God exists. So, when we say that “all gods are the same” — which ‘God’ are we referring to?

If who ‘God’ is differs from person to person, does this mean that there are many gods and we can choose to believe in whomever we like? Or is ‘God’ a concept that we have formed in our minds? If either is true, then ‘God’ wouldn’t be God but simply a product of our imagination. This view implies that humans are equal to or higher than God himself, and ‘God’ exists to serve us.

But if there is a God who exists, a God who is the Creator and not created — then this God would have the right to rule over all His creation, which includes us. What He says matters and if He claims to be the only true way, this leaves no room for compromise. We would only have two choices: to believe in or to reject Him.

What next?

It is not easy to make the bold claim that there is only one true God, especially in the world we live in today. In a multicultural society like Singapore, any claims to exclusivity can be seen as selfish and intolerant. So, why do Christians continue to emphasise their exclusive faith in Jesus and want others to believe in Him?

Only Jesus has made the claim that He is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6) — the one and only path that leads to the one and only God, and that He is that God. No other person in history has made this claim and proved it like Jesus. He lived, died and resurrected; this is a historical fact supported by many eyewitnesses and documents. This challenges us to seriously consider the exclusive statements that Jesus made about Himself — to take the time to explore more about His life and teachings recorded in the Bible and make the most reasonable decision about your path in life.

]]> Rahab https://kallos.com.sg/2018/03/24/rahab/ Fri, 23 Mar 2018 16:00:00 +0000 https://kallos.com.sg/?p=11539

Her heart was beating furiously. She tried her best to remain calm. The king himself had sent a message to her that his men were coming. The king? Sending his men? To her inn? She was proud of her inn in the city wall. She saw all who came into the city and all who went out, and some of them would spend the night at her inn. And some … did more than spend a night. But why would the king have any business with her — a prostitute and innkeeper? The message was clear. The two new guests were spies, and she was to turn them over.

She didn’t have a moment to lose; she knew she had to act quickly and courageously. She called the two men to follow her up to the roof, where she hid them under the stalks of flax she had laid out. When the king’s men came charging in, she bought more time by sending them on a wild goose chase. Neither the fear of treason nor even death could deter her from hiding these men of Israel. She knew what was at stake — her life and the lives of her entire family. But she had heard of the God of Israel and the things that He had done for His people — rescuing them from slavery in Egypt and miraculously parting the Red Sea. Faith bloomed in her heart — this God whom the Israelites worshipped was certainly the only true God. She knew that she was a foreigner to them, an outsider. Yet she chose to place all of her hope on this God to free her from the chains of her own life.

When all was quiet, she went up to speak to the spies: “I know that the Lord has given this land to you. Everyone in our country is filled with great fear because of you and what we have heard of what God has done for you.” She concluded firmly: “For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Jos 2:9-11). She knew that the people of her city stood no chance against the all-conquering Israelites and their God. She realised that the only way to survive the imminent destruction was to risk her life first by hiding the spies. The great gamble paid off. The spies agreed to protect her and her family in exchange for her help. She had secured the safety of her entire family!

On the day Jericho fell, only one house was left standing, with a scarlet cord hanging from a window — Rahab’s inn. Her act of faith saved her life and the lives of her family. It was God’s plan for Rahab to be a part of His great purposes for His Kingdom. Her unwavering faith and wise action to protect the spies gave Israel courage to conquer the land. God honoured her faith and by His grace, He redeemed her past and gave her a new life.

Commended as one with exemplary faith (Heb 11:31; Jas 2:25), she became a matriarch in the lineage of King David and Jesus Christ (Matt 1:5)! Also, as the first non-Israelite (or ‘Gentile’) worshipper of God, Rahab points us to the great plan of God fulfilled through Jesus Christ to include ‘outsiders’ as God’s people (Rom 11, Eph 2:11–22), by their faith in Him (Rom 5:1; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8–9).

Many times, we may doubt ourselves and feel that our faith is insignificant. But Rahab’s story directs us to have the audacity to hope in God whose scandalous grace is for everyone who chooses to turn away from sin, believe in Jesus Christ, and follow Him.

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