38 Bible Verses about ethics, incentives towards

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from it: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou doest that which is evil, tremble! for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, an avenger to inflict wrath on him that practises what is evil.

I EXHORT therefore, first of all, that there be offered supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings for the whole race of mankind: for kings, and all that are in a state of eminence, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and seriousness. For this is becoming, and acceptable before God our Saviour;read more.
who wills all men to be saved, and come to the acknowledgment of truth.

Be subject therefore to every human constitution for the Lord's sake; whether to a king as the supreme magistrate; or to governors, as sent by him for the punishment of wicked doers, but the praise of those who do well.

For if ye forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not to men their offences, neither will your Father forgive your offences.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

For with the same judgment ye judge others, shall ye be judged: and with the measure ye mete, shall it be measured to you again.

Even so also will my heavenly Father do to you, except ye forgive every one of you his brother, from your hearts, their trespasses.

For judgment without mercy shall be on him who shewed no mercy, and mercy glorieth against judgment.

Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithes of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier precepts of the law, judgment, and mercy, and fidelity: these thing ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone.

But wo to you, Pharisees, because ye tithe mint, and rue, and every herb, and pass by judgment and the love of God. These ought ye to have done, and not to have omitted the other.

They profess to know God; but in works deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye have been sealed unto the day of redemption.

For he that soweth unto his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption, and he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor sodomites,

For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body according to what he hath done, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Mortify therefore your members which are on the earth, fornication, impurity, the vile passion, evil concupiscence, and insatiable desire, which is idolatry: for which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience;

Earnestly seek peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

For ye were formerly darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light;

God forbid. We who are dead to sin, how shall we still live therein?

and he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again.

Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his practices; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him.

BE ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us, and given himself for us, an oblation and sacrifice to God, for an odour of a sweet smell.

I BESEECH you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

I speak not by commandment, but because of the forwardness of others, and to prove the genuineness of your love. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor though he was rich, that ye by his poverty should be made rich.

who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

By this we have known the love [of Christ], because for us he laid down his own life: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

But of beneficence, and liberal distribution, be not unmindful: for such sacrifices God accepts with delight.

wherefore also our ambition is, that whether dwelling in the body, or out of the body, we may be acceptable to him.

Children, be obedient to your parents in all things; for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

And our exhortation originated not from delusion, or impurity, or from guile; but as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts.

FINALLY, brethren, we beseech you therefore, and conjure you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and please God, so ye would abound more and more.

And whatsoever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things which are pleasing in his sight.

and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength; and to love his neighbour as himself, is better than all burnt offerings, and sacrifices.

Pure religion and undefiled with God even the Father is this, To pay diligent attention to the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to preserve himself spotless from the world.

Jesus answered and said to him, If any man love me, he will observe my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be to him a God, and he shall be to me a son.

that thou mayest not make a shew of fasting to men, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

But when thou makest an entertainment, invite the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; because they cannot recompense thee: for a recompence shall be made thee at the resurrection of the just.