'Motives' in the Bible

then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of his motives. (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.)

I know, my God, that you examine thoughts and are pleased with integrity. With pure motives I contribute all this; and now I look with joy as your people who have gathered here contribute to you.

O Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, maintain the motives of your people and keep them devoted to you.

then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of their motives. (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.)

He commanded them: "Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives.

So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land, God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives.

May the evil deeds of the wicked come to an end! But make the innocent secure, O righteous God, you who examine inner thoughts and motives!

Everyone speaks lies to his neighbor; they speak with flattering lips and hidden motives.

You have scrutinized my inner motives; you have examined me during the night. You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin. I am determined I will say nothing sinful.

The one whose deeds are blameless and whose motives are pure, who does not lie, or make promises with no intention of keeping them.

Examine me, O Lord, and test me! Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives!

Love the LORD, all his godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful and repays those who act with proud motives.

A psalm by Asaph. Certainly God is good to Israel, and to those whose motives are pure!

I concluded, "Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure and maintained a pure lifestyle.

David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill.

You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives.

who speak against you with evil motives, your enemies who are acting in vain.

All a man’s ways seem right to him,but the Lord evaluates the motives.

All a man’s ways seem right to him,but the Lord evaluates the motives.

The sacrifice of a wicked person is detestable—how much more sowhen he brings it with ulterior motives!

Do not desire his delicacies,For it is deceptive food [offered to you with questionable motives].

If you say, "Look here, we didn't know about this," doesn't God, who examines motives, discern it? Doesn't the one who guards your soul know about it? Won't he repay each person according to what he has done?

Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that God will judge your motives and actions.

LORD of the Heavenly Armies, who tests the righteous, who sees the inner motives and the heart, let me see you take vengeance on them, for I've committed my case to you.

Therefore, stop judging prematurely, before the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness and reveal the motives of our hearts. Then each person will receive his praise from God.

If I have fought with wild animals in Ephesus from merely human motives, what do I get out of it? If the dead are not raised, "Let's eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

Let all that you do be done from motives of love.

For this is what we boast about: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with pure motives and godly sincerity, without earthly wisdom but with God's grace especially toward you.

For we are not like the majority who peddle the word of God, but as from pure motives--but as from God--we speak before God in Christ.

Therefore, because we realize how greatly the Lord is to be feared, we are endeavouring to win men over, and God recognizes what our motives are, and I hope that you, in your hearts, recognize them too.

I ask that when I do come I will not be driven to the boldness that I intend to show toward those few who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh [like men without the Spirit].

These men pay court to you, but not with honourable motives. They want to exclude you, so that you may pay court to them.

the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.

What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves.

For our appeal to you does not spring from deceit, impure motives, or trickery.

Rather, because we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, we speak as we do, not trying to please people but God, who tests our motives.

For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives—God is our witness—

then you will have made false distinctions among yourselves and will have judged from evil motives, will you not?

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, every one according to their deeds.