25 Bible Verses about Abuse, Of Christian Freedom

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts of it.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Wherefore, seeing we also are encompassed with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If any man shall see his brother sin a sin which is not to death, he shall ask, and he will give him life for them that sin not to death. There is a sin to death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not to death. We know that whoever is born of God, sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God, keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? By no means: how shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? By no means.

But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man.) By no means: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie to his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?read more.
And not rather (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? By no means. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I may live to God.read more.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness is attainable by the law, then Christ hath died in vain.

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours should become a stumbling-block to them that are weak. For if any man shall see thee, who hast knowledge, sit eating in the idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?read more.
But when ye thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

For, brethren, ye have been called to liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

It is reported commonly that there is lewdness among you, and such lewdness as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for lewdness, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.read more.
Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? By no means. What? know ye not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Flee lewdness. Every sin that a man doeth, is without the body; but he that committeth lewdness, sinneth against his own body. What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit lewdness, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her lewdness, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, (his wife also being privy to it) and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

When therefore ye come together in one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before another his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

Wherefore, seeing we also are encompassed with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them who stumble at the word, being disobedient: to which also they were appointed.

And by this we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Whoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown language, speaketh not to men, but to God: for no man understandeth him; yet in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth, speaketh to men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.read more.
He that speaketh in an unknown language edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spoke in languages, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh in languages, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in languages, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet shall give an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian to me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore, let him that speaketh in an unknown language, pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown language, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else, when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God, I speak in languages more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown language. Brethren, be not children in understanding: yet in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Now as concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man thinketh that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man loveth God, the same is known by him.read more.
Therefore as concerning the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For though there are that are called gods, whether in heaven or upon earth, (as there are gods many, and lords many) Yet to us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. But there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol to this hour eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food commendeth us not to God: for neither if we eat, are we the better; neither if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours should become a stumbling-block to them that are weak. For if any man shall see thee, who hast knowledge, sit eating in the idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if food maketh my brother to fall into sin, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to fall into sin.

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit lewdness.