--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Christianity . . . does not [simply]…" description: "\"“Christianity . . . does not [simply] stand in the history that we only know and which knowledge we take to ourselves so that we say “Christ died for u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/jacob-boehme-58818_christian_christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-th_2353513.jpg" --- # Christianity . . . does not \[simply\] stand in the history… ![“Christianity . . . does not [simply] stand in the history that we only know and which knowledge we take to ourselves so that we say “Christ died for us and has broken death in us and made it into life. He has paid the debt for us. We need only to comfort ourselves with this and firmly believe that…” quote by Jacob Boehme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/jacob-boehme-58818_christian_christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-th_2353513.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/jacob-boehme-58818_christian_christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-th_2353513.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/jacob-boehme-58818_christian_christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-th_2353513.jpg) > ““Christianity . . . does not \[simply\] stand in the history that we only know and which knowledge we take to ourselves so that we say “Christ died for us and has broken death in us and made it into life. He has paid the debt for us. We need only to comfort ourselves with this and firmly believe that it has happened.” Since we in ourselves find that sin in the flesh is living, desirous and active, that it might work, the new birth out of Christ must be something else that does not work along with the sinful flesh and that does not will sin. . . . Here a Christian is to consider why he calls himself a Christian and is truly to consider whether he is one. Because I may learn to know and understand that I am a sinner, and that Christ has killed my sins on the cross and shed His blood for me, this in no way makes a Christian out of me. The inheritance is only for the children. A maid in the house knows well what the wife would eagerly have. This does not therefore make her an inheritor of the wife’s goods. The devil also knows that there is a God \[James 2:19\]. That does not therefore make him an angel again. However, if the maid in the household marries the wife’s son, then she can truly come to the inheritance of the wife’s goods. . . . The scorner and the titular Christian is the whore’s son, who must be cast out for he is not to inherit Christ’s inheritance in the kingdom of God (Galatians 4:30). He is no use, and only Babel, a confusion of the one language into many languages. He is only a talker and arguer about the inheritance and wishes to talk and argue to it with his mouth-hypocrisy and appearance of holiness, but he is only a blood-thirsty murderer of Abel his brother who is the true heir. . . . If one says, “I have the will and wish eagerly to do good, but I have earthly flesh that holds me \[back\] so that I cannot \[act\]; nevertheless, I shall be blessed by grace because of the merit of Christ. Since I console myself indeed with His suffering and merit, He will take me out of grace, without any merit of mine, and forgive me my sins,” he acts like one who knows of good food for his health and does not eat it, but who eats instead the poison from which he becomes ill and dies. What does it help the soul if it knows the way to God and does not wish to take it, but goes instead on a way of error, and does not reach God? What does it help the soul if it consoles itself with the sonship of Christ, \[with\] His suffering and death, and is itself hypocritical, but cannot enter into the childlike birth so that it is born a true child out of Christ’s Spirit, out of His suffering, death and resurrection? Certainly and truly, this tickling and hypocrisy about Christ’s merits aside from the true inherited sonship is false and a lie, \[regardless of\] who teaches. This consolation belongs to the repentant sinner who is in strife with sin and God’s wrath when the temptations come that the devil sets on the soul. Then the soul is to wrap itself completely in the suffering and death of Christ in His merit. \[The Way to Christ, trans. Peter Erb, 138-139, 156-158\]”” [Jacob Boehme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-boehme/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that merely believing in Christ’s sacrifice does not make one truly Christian; authentic faith must transform behavior and align with divine inheritance. **In simple terms:** Faith alone isn’t enough; actions must reflect belief. Key Takeaway Seek genuine transformation beyond mere belief. Themes faith authenticity spiritual inheritance sin grace Mood introspective serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal prayer - community worship - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts theology personal integrity spiritual growth Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to truly live out faith? - How can we discern genuine belief from hypocrisy? A Different Perspective The text may conflate doctrine with personal experience, risking exclusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Good food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-food/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Kingdom of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-of-god/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [New Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-birth/) ## Related quotes > [“You're not a Christian, are you?" 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I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) [Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Christianity . . . does not [simply] stand in the history that we only know and which knowledge we take to ourselves so that we say “Christ died for us and has broken death in us and made it into life. He has paid the debt for us. We need only to comfort ourselves with this and firmly believe that it has happened.” Since we in ourselves find that sin in the flesh is living, desirous and active, that it might work, the new birth out of Christ must be something else that does not work along with the sinful flesh and that does not will sin. . . . Here a Christian is to consider why he calls himself a Christian and is truly to consider whether he is one. Because I may learn to know and understand that I am a sinner, and that Christ has killed my sins on the cross and shed His blood for me, this in no way makes a Christian out of me. The inheritance is only for the children. A maid in the house knows well what the wife would eagerly have. This does not therefore make her an inheritor of the wife’s goods. The devil also knows that there is a God [James 2:19]. That does not therefore make him an angel again. However, if the maid in the household marries the wife’s son, then she can truly come to the inheritance of the wife’s goods. . . . The scorner and the titular Christian is the whore’s son, who must be cast out for he is not to inherit Christ’s inheritance in the kingdom of God (Galatians 4:30). He is no use, and only Babel, a confusion of the one language into many languages. He is only a talker and arguer about the inheritance and wishes to talk and argue to it with his mouth-hypocrisy and appearance of holiness, but he is only a blood-thirsty murderer of Abel his brother who is the true heir. . . . If one says, “I have the will and wish eagerly to do good, but I have earthly flesh that holds me [back] so that I cannot [act]; nevertheless, I shall be blessed by grace because of the merit of Christ. Since I console myself indeed with His suffering and merit, He will take me out of grace, without any merit of mine, and forgive me my sins,” he acts like one who knows of good food for his health and does not eat it, but who eats instead the poison from which he becomes ill and dies. What does it help the soul if it knows the way to God and does not wish to take it, but goes instead on a way of error, and does not reach God? What does it help the soul if it consoles itself with the sonship of Christ, [with] His suffering and death, and is itself hypocritical, but cannot enter into the childlike birth so that it is born a true child out of Christ’s Spirit, out of His suffering, death and resurrection? Certainly and truly, this tickling and hypocrisy about Christ’s merits aside from the true inherited sonship is false and a lie, [regardless of] who teaches. This consolation belongs to the repentant sinner who is in strife with sin and God’s wrath when the temptations come that the devil sets on the soul. Then the soul is to wrap itself completely in the suffering and death of Christ in His merit. [The Way to Christ, trans. Peter Erb, 138-139, 156-158]”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jacob Boehme" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-boehme/christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-the-history-that-we-only-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-boehme/christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-the-history-that-we-only-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/jacob-boehme-58818_christian_christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-th_2353513.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/jacob-boehme-58818_christian_christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-th_2353513.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/242/jacob-boehme-58818_christian_christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-th_2353513.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Christianity . . . does not [simply] stand in the history that we only know and which knowledge we take to…” — Jacob Boehme", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jacob Boehme", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-boehme/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Christianity . . . does not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-boehme/christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-the-history-that-we-only-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-boehme/christianity-does-not-simply-stand-in-the-history-that-we-only-know/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```