English (United States) 
"Who is God?" from the Autumn 2017 Vision Newsletter
How we feel about God is determined by our experiences with Him. It only makes sense then that because each of us has experienced God differently, we may think about God differently than the person next to us. However, this isn’t something that should divide us. Instead, we can focus on and be thankful for the characteristics of God that will always be the same for all people, something that is universal.
The message of the gospel, whether people believe in it or not, applies to all people. This message is based on that which Jesus teaches us about God, ourselves, our relationship with God and our neighbor, and the salvation that God prepares for us. Let’s look at the five universal aspects of the gospel of Christ:
God is perfect
It’s hard to understand perfection because we have never been and never will be perfect. And yet, God is perfect. When we recognize this about Him, it is a wonderful revelation. It means that we know and believe that God doesn’t make mistakes and He never has to fix things. This is clearly seen in His creation – it is always adapting and evolving. Further, we can perceive in His perfection that all good for us emanates from Him (Psalm 16:2).
God is love
God is not just loving, He is love. He is the genesis and essence of this gift of His kingdom. Love only exists on earth because He is love. And God’s love is unconditional. When Adam and Eve fell into sin and were cast out of the Garden, God had a plan in place to send His Son as a sacrifice and restore the relationship He had with man. God loves us and He wants us to love Him back, freely and willingly.
God is Triune
God is composed of the Trinity, three Persons who are one – God, the Father; God, the Son; God, the Holy Spirit. This is a unique relationship that no one will ever be able to fully comprehend; it is a divine mystery. However, when we enter into a relationship with the Triune God, only then will we be able to have peace and oneness in our relationships with others, only then will we experience harmony and unity. God loves our diversity, but He wants us to overcome our differences and be unified through a relationship with Him.
God is Jesus Christ
Through Jesus Christ, God revealed Himself in flesh to us. He is the only way of salvation. As both true Man and true God, Jesus Christ is our model, our example to follow. To be fully liberated from evil and sin, we must learn from and follow His words and deeds.
God is peace
God wants us to have His peace by allowing us to become the being that He intended us to be. Adam was created in the image of God – he was created to be the best he could be. But, Adam failed. So, then the new Adam came in Jesus Christ. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can enter into a relationship with God again and strive for a fulfilled life in becoming the best person that we can be.
This gospel message is for everyone. To allow everyone to connect to the gospel, we want to be credible witnesses of this message and truly live out these five aspects.
We can also let these five universal gospel truths be reasons we give thanks and worship to God. We want Him to see our expression of how we feel about Him and all that He has done in our lives.
* Based on excerpts from the International District Apostle Meeting in Vienna, 2017.