The Objective God vs. The Subjective God

 

The Objective God vs. The Subjective God 

John 1:14 — “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and reality; and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father.” 

Aspect	The Objective God	The Subjective God
Meaning	Refers to God as He is in Himself — existing independently of human experience; the God who is true, real, and absolute, the One to be worshipped and known.	Refers to God as experienced and enjoyed within us; God has become “the True One” in us — the divine reality we live in and possess.
Symbolism	Represents God’s attributes: truth, holiness, righteousness, authority, and revelation.	Represents God’s life, Spirit, grace, reality, indwelling, and fellowship.
Distinction	The objective God is truth outside of us — unchanging and revealed for our knowledge and worship (John 1:14).	The subjective God is reality within us — experienced inwardly as life and fellowship (1 John 4:15).
Explanation	God was transcendent and in heaven, but through incarnation, death, and resurrection, He became knowable to us objectively (John 1:14).	Through Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection, He entered into believers as the indwelling Spirit so we can experience Him subjectively (1 John 5:20).
Examples	In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself to Israel, gave the law, and manifested His glory; in the Gospels, people saw Jesus performing miracles.	In the New Testament, believers experience the indwelling Christ — as Paul said, “Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20), and “God abides in him” (1 John 4:15).
Application	To know the God revealed in the Scriptures as the true and trustworthy One worthy of worship.	To experience God as our inward reality, letting His Word, Spirit, and life operate in us until He becomes our daily living and expression.
Interrelationship	The objective God is the foundation of the subjective God; without the objective revelation of God, there would be no subjective experience.	The subjective God is the fulfillment of the objective God; through Christ’s incarnation and the Spirit, the objective God becomes our reality — the two are one in experience.
Related Scriptures	John 1:14 — “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and reality; and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father.” 1 John 4:15 — “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God.” 1 John 5:20 — “The Son of God has come and has given us understanding that we might know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

 

 Key Summary: 

The Bible reveals a profound progression: the God who was once objective—existing outside of man as the Creator and the True God—has become subjective through Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection. The Word became flesh to make God knowable and experiential. Through the indwelling Spirit, this God now abides in believers, becoming their inward life, grace, and reality. Thus, the Christian life is not merely knowing about God objectively but experiencing, enjoying, and expressing Him subjectively as the True One.

 

Conclusion: 

God was originally objective, absolute, and true. Yet through Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection, He became our subjective reality — enabling us to experience, enjoy, and live in Him. This fulfills God’s economy: the objective God becoming the subjective God.

 

*Please refer to the June 2025 Summer Training, General Topic: Experiencing, Enjoying, and Manifesting Christ (Part 3), Chapter 12: The True One