38 Bible Verses about ethics, incentives towards

For civil authorities are not a terror to the man who does right, but they are to the man who does wrong. Do you want to have no dread of the civil authorities? Then practice doing right and you will be commended for it. For the civil authorities are God's servants to do you good. But if you practice doing wrong, you should dread them, for they do not wield the sword for nothing. Indeed, they are God's servants to inflict punishment upon people who do wrong.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties, prayers, and thanksgiving be offered for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead peaceful, quiet lives in perfect piety and seriousness. This is the right thing to do and it pleases God our Saviour,read more.
who is ever willing for all mankind to be saved and to come to an increasing knowledge of the truth.

For the Lord's sake submit to all human authority; to the emperor as supreme, and to governors as sent by Him to punish those who do evil and to reward those who do right.

"For if you forgive others their shortcomings your heavenly Father will forgive you, too. But if you do not forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive your shortcomings either.

"Blessed are those who show mercy, for they will have mercy shown them.

For exactly as you criticize others, you will be criticized, and in accordance with the measure that you give to others, it will be measured back to you.

This is the way my heavenly Father too will deal with you, if you do not, each one, heartily forgive your brother."

For merciless judgment will be the portion of the merciless man; yet mercy will triumph over judgment.

"A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you pay tithes on mint and dill and cummin, and yet leave out the more vital matters of the law, justice, love and fidelity. These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have left out the former.

But a curse on you Pharisees, because you pay tithes on mint, rue, and every tiny garden herb, but neglect justice and the love of God! These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have neglected the former.

They profess to know God, but by their actions they disown Him; they are detestable, disobedient, and useless for anything good.

You must stop offending the Holy Spirit of God by whom you have been stamped for the day of redemption.

The person who sows to gratify his lower nature will reap destruction from that lower nature, and the person who sows to gratify his higher nature will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Do you not know that wrongdoers will not have a share in the kingdom of God? Stop being misled; people who are sexually immoral or idolaters or adulterers or sensual or guilty of unnatural sexual vice

For we must all appear before the judgment-bar of Christ, that each may get his pay for what he has done, whether it be good or bad.

So once for all put to death your lower, earthly nature with respect to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is real idolatry. It is on account of these very sins that God's anger is coming.

Continue to live in peace with everybody and strive for that consecration without which no one can see the Lord.

For at one time you were darkness itself, but now in union with the Lord you are light itself. You must live like children of light,

Not at all! Since we have ended our relation to sin, how can we live in it any longer?

and He died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Stop lying to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self which is in the process of being made new in the likeness of its Creator, so that you may attain a perfect knowledge of Him.

So you must keep on following God's example, as dearly loved children of His, and practice living in love, just as Christ loved you too and gave Himself for you as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

I beg you, therefore, brothers, through these mercies God has shown you, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies as a living sacrifice, devoted and well-pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

I am not saying this in the spirit of a command, but I am simply trying to test the genuineness of your love by the enthusiasm of others. For by experience you know the unmerited favor shown by our Lord Jesus Christ; that although He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, in order that by His poverty you might become rich.

who gave Himself for us to ransom us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people to be His very own, zealous of good works.

We know what love is from the fact that He laid down His life for us; and so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

And stop neglecting to do good and to be generous, for God is highly pleased with just such sacrifices as these.

So whether I am at home or away from home, it is my constant ambition to please Him.

Children, practice obedience to your parents in everything, for this is acceptable in Christians.

For our appeal did not originate from a delusion or an impure motive; it was not made in fraud; for since we have been so approved by God as to be entrusted with the good news, we are now telling it, not to please men but God, who proves and finds approved our hearts.

Now, brothers, we ask and beg you, in the face of our union with the Lord Jesus, as you once received from us how you ought to live so as to please God -- as indeed you are living -- to continue to live this life better and better.

and we obtain from Him whatever we ask for, because we practice obedience to His commands and do what pleases Him.

and to love Him with one's whole heart, one's whole understanding, and one's whole strength, and to love one's neighbor as one loves himself is far more than all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices."

A religious worship that is pure and stainless in the sight of God the Father is this: To look after orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep one's own self unstained by the world.

Jesus answered him, "If anyone really loves me, he will observe my teaching, and my Father will love him, and both of us will come in face-to-face fellowship with him; yes, we will make our special dwelling place with him.

Whoever conquers will come into possession of these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

so that your fasting may be seen, not by men but by your Father who is unseen, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.

But when you give a reception, make it your habit to invite people that are poor, maimed, crippled, or blind. Then you will be happy, because they cannot repay you; you will be repaid at the resurrection of the upright."