25 Bible Verses about Abuse, Of Christian Freedom

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you obey its passions.

For sin shall not have dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not sin; but he who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live any longer in it?

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) Certainly not! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?read more.
Why not say as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.

But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.read more.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died for nothing."

But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, at table in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.read more.
Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a covering for evil; live as servants of God.

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to have mourned? Let the one who has done this be removed from your midst.

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food"but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord, and he will also raise us up.read more.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two shall become one flesh." But he who unites himself with the Lord is one spirit with him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality. So I will cast her on a sickbed, and I will throw those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her ways.

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's full knowledge he kept back some of the money for himself, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Therefore when you meet together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat, for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal, and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? No, I will not.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and 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 one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall;" they stumble because they disobey the wordas they were desstined to do.

Now by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Everyone who commits sin also commits lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands him, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their edification and encouragement and comfort.read more.
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified. But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless things, such as the flute or the harp, do not give a distinction in the notes, how will any one know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So it is with you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is intelligible, how will anyone know what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. Undoubtedly there are many languages in the world, and none of them is without meaning. If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the one who is speaking, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. So it is with you; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in building up the church. Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how can any one in the position of an outsider say the "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all; but in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; be infants in evil, but in thinking be mature.

Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by him.read more.
Therefore concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, being accustomed to idols, eat food as really sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, at table in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to fall.

But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to practice sexual immorality.