14 Bible Verses about Motives, Examples Of

Some of them, it is true, are actually preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, others from goodwill; the latter do it from love to me, knowing that I am set here to defend the gospel, but the former proclaim Christ for their own ends, with mixed motives, intending to annoy me as I lie in prison.read more.
What does it matter? Anyhow, for ulterior ends or honestly, Christ is being proclaimed, and I rejoice over that; yes and I will rejoice over it.

The birth of [Jesus] Christ came about thus. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together she was discovered to be pregnant by the holy Spirit. As Joseph her husband was a just man but unwilling to disgrace her, he resolved to divorce her secretly; but after he had planned this, there appeared an angel of the Lord to him in a dream saying, "Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary your wife home, for what is begotten in her comes from the holy Spirit.

Then Herod summoned the magicians in secret and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He also sent them to Bethlehem, telling them, "Go and make a careful search for the child, and when you have found him report to me, so that I may go and worship him too." The magicians listened to the king and then went their way. And the star they had seen rise went in front of them till it stopped over the place where the child was.read more.
When they caught sight of the star, they were intensely glad; on reaching the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, they fell down to worship him, and opening their caskets they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. Then, as they had been divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by a different road. After they had gone, there appeared an angel of the Lord to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt; stay there till I tell you. For Herod is going to search for the child and destroy him."

One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was to betray him), said, "Why was not this perfume sold for ten pounds, and the money given to the poor?" (Not that he cared for the poor; he said this because he was a thief, and because he carried the money-box and pilfered what was put in.)

For there are plenty of insubordinate creatures who impose on people with their empty arguments, particularly those who have come over from Judaism; they must be silenced, for they are undermining whole families by teaching objectionable doctrine for the base end of making money.

He who sent me is at my side; he has not left me alone; for I always do what pleases him."

Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.

for I have come down from heaven not to carry out my own will but the will of him who sent me,

Hence, on entering the world he says, Thou hast no desire for sacrifice or offering; it is a body thou hast prepared for me ??6 in holocausts and sin-offerings thou takest no delight. So I said, 'Here I come ??in the roll of the book this is written of me ??I come to do thy will, O God.'

For the appeal we make does not spring from any delusion or from impure motives ??it does not work by cunning; no, God has attested our fitness to be entrusted with the gospel, and so we tell the gospel not to satisfy men but to satisfy the God who tests our hearts. We never resorted to flattery (you know that), nor to any pretext for self-seeking (God is witness to that);read more.
we never sought honour from men, from you or from anybody else, though as apostles of Christ we had the power of claiming to be men of weight;

I am, for I am not like most, adulterating the word of God; like a man of sincerity, like a man of God, I speak the word in Christ before the very presence of God.

Hence also I am eager to satisfy him, whether in the body or away from it; for we have all to appear without disguise before the tribunal of Christ, each to be requited for what he has done with his body, well or ill. If I 'appeal to the interests of men,' then, it is with the fear of the Lord before my mind. What I am is plain to God without disguise, plain also, I trust, to your own conscience.read more.
This is not 'recommending myself to you again'; it is giving you an incentive to be proud of me, which you can use against men who are proud of externals instead of the inward reality.

But you were kind enough to take your share in my trouble. You Philippians are well aware that in the early days of the gospel, when I had left Macedonia, no church but yourselves had any financial dealings with me; even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent money more than once for my needs.read more.
It is not the money I am anxious for; what I am anxious for is the interest that accumulates in this way to your divine credit! Your debt to me is fully paid and more than paid! I am amply supplied with what you have sent by Epaphroditus, a fragrant perfume, the sort of sacrifice that God approves and welcomes.

But then, if it is to be life here below, that means fruitful work for me. So ??well, I cannot tell which to choose; I am in a dilemma between the two. My strong desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far the best. But for your sakes it is necessary I should live on here below.read more.
I am sure it is, and so I know I shall remain alive and serve you all by forwarding your progress and fostering the joy of your faith. Thus you will have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus over me ??over my return to you.