What does the Bible say about selfish gain?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Matthew 6:1-34

  [1] "Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. [2] Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don't sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most assuredly I tell you, they have received their reward. [3] But when you do merciful deeds, don't let your left hand know what your right hand does, [4] so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. [5] "When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they have received their reward. [6] But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. [7] In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. [8] Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. [9] Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. [10] Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. [11] Give us today our daily bread. [12] Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. [13] Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.' [14] "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. [16] "Moreover when you fast, don't be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most assuredly I tell you, they have received their reward. [17] But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; [18] so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. [19] "Don't lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [22] "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. [23] But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! [24] "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon. [25] Therefore, I tell you, don't be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [26] See the birds of the sky, that they don't sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you of much more value than they? [27] "Which of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to the measure of his life? [28] Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin, [29] yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith? [31] "Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?' [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. [33] But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. [34] Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient.

• Luke 6:31

  "As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

• 1 John 3:16-24

  [16] By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [17] But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him? [18] My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. [19] And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him, [20] because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. [21] Beloved, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have boldness toward God; [22] and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. [23] This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. [24] He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

• 1 Peter 4:7-11

  [7] But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer. [8] And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins. [9] Be hospitable one to another without grumbling. [10] According as each has received a gift, be ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the grace of God in its various forms. [11] If any man speaks, let it be as it were oracles of God. If any man serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• Psalms 119:1

  > Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, Who walk according to Yahweh's law.

• Psalms 119:33-40

  [33] Teach me, Yahweh, the way of your statutes. I will keep them to the end. [34] Give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart. [35] Direct me in the path of your commandments, For I delight in them. [36] Turn my heart toward your statutes, Not toward selfish gain. [37] Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways. [38] Fulfill your promise to your servant, That you may be feared. [39] Take away my disgrace that I dread, For your ordinances are good. [40] Behold, I long for your precepts! Revive me in your righteousness.

• 1 John 2:1-29

  [1] My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. [2] And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. [3] This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments. [4] One who says, "I know him," and doesn't keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn't in him. [5] But whoever keeps his word, God's love has most assuredly been perfected in him. This is how we know that we are in him: [6] he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked. [7] Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. [8] Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shines. [9] He who says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in the darkness even until now. [10] He who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him. [11] But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn't know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. [12] I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. [13] I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, little children, because you know the Father. [14] I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one. [15] Don't love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father's love isn't in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn't the Father's, but is the world's. [17] The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God's will remains forever. [18] Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the end times. [19] They went out from us, but they didn't belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us. [20] You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know the truth. [21] I have not written to you because you don't know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. [22] Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. [23] Whoever denies the Son, the same doesn't have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. [24] Therefore, as for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father. [25] This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life. [26] These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. [27] As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don't need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him. [28] Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. [29] If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him.

• 1 John 4:7-11

  [7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God. [8] He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love. [9] By this was God's love revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. [10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.

• Isaiah 55:10-11

  [10] For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn't return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; [11] so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

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