38 Bible Verses about ethics, incentives towards

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wouldest thou then not be afraid of the civil power? do what is good, and thou shalt have praise from it: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou dost evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is also the minister of God, as an avenger to execute his wrath upon the malefactor.

This then I exhort thee first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings he made for all men; particularly for kings, and all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all piety and virtue. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour:read more.
who is willing that all men should be saved, and therefore come to the knowledge of the truth.

Be subject therefore to every human form of government, for the Lord's sake: whether it be to a king as supreme; or to governors as persons sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers, and the praise of them that do well.

For if ye forgive men their faults, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their transgressions, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured back again to you.

Thus will my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts their trespasses.

For he shall have judgement without mercy, that hath not shewn mercy: but mercy triumpheth over judgement.

Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, who tithe even your mint, and anise, and cummin, but neglect the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and fidelity: these ye ought undoubtedly to practise, and not to omit the others.

But wo unto you pharisees, who tithe even your mint, and rue, and all your herbs, and pass by judgement and the love of God: these ought ye to practise and not to omit the others.

They profess to know God, but in works deny Him, being abominable and disobedient, and to every thing that is good void of understanding.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption.

He then, who soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he, that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

What! know ye not that the unjust shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor sodomites,

For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, that every one may receive for the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it were good or bad.

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

Follow peace with all men; and holiness, without which none shall see the Lord:

For ye were heretofore darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord:

God forbid! how shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

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

Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his evil 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 his dear children; and walk in love, even as Christ hath loved us, and given Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweet perfume.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and well-pleasing to God, as your rational service.

I speak not by way of command, but to prove the sincerity of your love also, by means of the forwardness of others. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye by his poverty might be 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.

In this we know his love, that He laid down his life for us: and we should be ready to lay down our lives for the brethren.

But to do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Wherefore we are also ambitious, whether dwelling in the body, or out of it, to be well-pleasing to Him.

Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well-pleasing to the Lord:

For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of impurity, nor in guile: but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts.

As to what remains therefore, my brethren, we intreat and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received instructions from us, how ye ought to walk and to please God, ye would abound therein more and more.

and whatsoever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that 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 more than all whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices.

Pure and uncorrupt religion before God and our Father is this, to take care of orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

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

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

that thou mayst not appear unto men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee openly.

But when thou makest a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be happy; because they have not wherewith to requite thee: for a recompense shall be given thee at the resurrection of the just.