Bible verses about "motives" | Murdock

¹ My beloved, believe not all spirits; but discriminate among spirits, whether they are of God: for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

¹⁷ And whatever ye do in word or act, do it in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, and give thanksgiving through him to God the Father.

¹² Not like Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And why did he slay him, but because his own works were evil, and those of his brother righteous?

¹ Whence is it, that there are among you fightings and broils? Is it not from the lusts, which war in your members? ² Ye covet, and possess not; and ye kill, and envy, and effect nothing: and ye fight and make attacks; and ye have not, because ye ask not. ³ Ye ask, and receive not; because ye ask wickedly, that ye may pamper your lusts. ⁴ Ye adulterers, know ye not, that the love of the world is hostility towards God? He therefore who chooseth to be a lover of this world, is the enemy of God. ⁵ Or think ye, that the scripture hath vainly said: The spirit dwelling in us lusteth with envy? ⁶ But our Lord hath given us more grace. Therefore he said: The Lord humbleth the lofty, and giveth grace to the lowly. ⁷ Subject yourselves therefore to God; and stand firm against Satan, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: sanctify your hearts, ye divided in mind. ⁹ Humble yourselves, and mourn: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into grief. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. ¹¹ Speak not against each other, my brethren; for he that speaketh against his brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law. And if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but its judge. ¹² There is one Law-giver and Judge, who can make alive, and can destroy: but who art thou, that thou judgest thy neighbor? ¹³ But what shall we say of those, who say: To-day or to-morrow we will go to such or such a city, and will abide there a year; and we will traffic, and get gain? ¹⁴ And they know not what will be to-morrow: for what is our life, but an exhalation that is seen a little while, and then vanisheth and is gone? ¹⁵ Whereas they should say: If the Lord please, and we live, we will do this or that. ¹⁶ They glory in their vaunting. All such glorying is evil. ¹⁷ He that knoweth the good, and doeth it not, to him is sin.

⁵ Therefore pronounce not judgments before the time, or until the Lord come, who will pour light upon the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the thoughts of men's hearts: and then will each one have due praise from God.

⁵ Now the end of the command is love, which is from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from true faith.

¹ Be cautious in your alms-giving, not to perform it before men, so that ye may be seen of them: otherwise, ye have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

³ And do nothing in strife, or in vain glory; but, with lowliness of mind, let each esteem his neighbor as better than himself. ⁴ but as we had been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who searcheth our hearts.

¹⁰ For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I had till now pleased men, I should not have been a servant of the Messiah.

¹ Be cautious in your alms-giving, not to perform it before men, so that ye may be seen of them: otherwise, ye have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ² Therefore, when thou doest alms thou shalt not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get praise from men. Verily I say to you, They have gotten their reward. ³ But thou, when doing alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: ⁴ that thy alms may be in secret. And thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee openly. ⁵ And when thou prayest. thou shalt not be like the hypocrites, who are fond of standing up in the synagogues and at the corners of streets to pray, so that they may be seen by people. Verily I say to you, they have gotten their reward. ⁶ But thou, when thou prayest enter into thy closet and close the door, and pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee openly. ⁷ And when ye pray, be not garrulous like the heathen; for they expect to be heard for their abundance of words. ⁸ Therefore, be not like them; for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before ye ask him. ⁹ In this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: ¹⁰ Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done; as in heaven, so on earth: ¹¹ Give us our needful bread, this day: ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors: ¹³ And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever: Amen. ¹⁴ For if ye forgive men their faults, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if ye shall not forgive men, your Father also forgiveth not you your faults. ¹⁶ And when ye fast, be not sad like the hypocrites. For they distort their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say to you, they have gotten their reward. ¹⁷ But, when thou fastest, wash thou thy face, and anoint thy head: ¹⁸ that thou mayest not be seen by men as a faster, but by thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will recompense thee.