Twelve Steps with Scripture
Step 4
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes; but the LORD
weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts
shall be established. - Proverbs
16:2-3
1
Corinthians 4:19-20
But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I shall ascertain
not the talk of these inflated people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of
God is not a matter of talk but of power.
Romans
13:11-14
And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake
from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; 12
the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works
of darkness (and) put on the armor of light; 13 let us conduct ourselves properly
as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness,
not in rivalry and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make
no provision for the desires of the flesh.
Luke
12:1-6
Meanwhile, so many people were crowding together that they were trampling one
another underfoot. He began to speak, first to his disciples, "Beware of the
leaven--that is, the hypocrisy--of the Pharisees. 2 "There is nothing concealed
that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever
you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have
whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. 4 I tell
you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that
can do no more. 5 I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after
killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that
one. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them
has escaped the notice of God
Matthew
5:27-32
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I
say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery
with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out
and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to
have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes
you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one
of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. 31 "It was also
said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.' 32 But I
say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes
her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew
23:23-28
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of
mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of
the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. (But) these you should have
done, without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides, who strain out
the gnat and swallow the camel! 25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they
are full of plunder and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first
the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean. 27 "Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed
tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of
dead men's bones and every kind of filth. 28 Even so, on the outside
you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
Luke
11:33-36
"No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it (under a bushel basket),
but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light. 34 The lamp of
the body is your eye. When your eye is sound, then your whole body is filled
with light, but when it is bad, then your body is in darkness. 35 Take care,
then, that the light in you not become darkness. 36 If your whole body is full
of light, and no part of it is in darkness, then it will be as full of light
as a lamp illuminating you with its brightness."
Luke
12:1-6
Meanwhile, so many people were crowding together that they were trampling one
another underfoot. He began to speak, first to his disciples, "Beware of the
leaven--that is, the hypocrisy--of the Pharisees. 2 "There is nothing concealed
that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever
you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have
whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. 4 I tell
you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that
can do no more. 5 I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after
killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; 3 yes, I tell you, be afraid of
that one. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of
them has escaped the notice of God.
Luke
12:15
Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though
one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."
Luke
16:14-15
The Pharisees, who loved money, 10 heard all these things and sneered at him.
15 And he said to them, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but
God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the
sight of God.
Luke
17:3-6
Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive
him. 4 And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven
times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive him." 5 And the apostles said
to the Lord, "Increase our faith." 6 The Lord replied, "If you have faith the
size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted
and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Romans
7:15
What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what
I hate.
1
Corinthians 3:1-3
Brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people,
as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable
to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now, 3 for you are still of
the flesh. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the
flesh, and behaving in an ordinary human way?
1
Corinthians 7:3-16
The husband should fulfill his duty toward his wife, and likewise the wife
toward her husband. 4 A wife does not have authority over her own body, but
rather her husband, and similarly a husband does not have authority over his
own body, but rather his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other, except perhaps
by mutual consent for a time, to be free for prayer, but then return to one
another, so that Satan may not tempt you through your lack of self-control.
6 This I say by way of concession, however, not as a command. 7 Indeed, I wish
everyone to be as I am, but each has a particular gift from God, one of one
kind and one of another. 8 Now to the unmarried and to widows, I say: it is
a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do, 9 but if they cannot
exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to
be on fire. 10 To the married, however, I give this instruction (not I, but
the Lord): a wife should not separate from her husband 11 --and if she does
separate she must either remain single or become reconciled to her husband--and
a husband should not divorce his wife. 12 To the rest I say (not the Lord):
if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she is willing to go on
living with him, he should not divorce her; 13 and if any woman has a husband
who is an unbeliever, and he is willing to go on living with her, she should
not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy through
his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. Otherwise
your children would be unclean, whereas in fact they are holy. 15 If the unbeliever
separates, 9 however, let him separate. The brother or sister is not bound
in such cases; God has called you to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether
you will save your husband; or how do you know, husband, whether you will save
your wife?
1
Corinthians 15:34
Become sober as you ought and stop sinning. For some have no knowledge of God;
I say this to your shame.
2
Corinthians 10:12
Not that we dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend
themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves
with one another, they are without understanding.
2
Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in faith. Test yourselves.
Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless, of course, you fail
the test.
Galatians
5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury,
acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, 21 occasions of envy, 15
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians
6:3-5
For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deluding himself.
4 3 Each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason to boast
with regard to himself alone, and not with regard to someone else; 5 for each
will bear his own load.
Ephesians
5:3-7
Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as
is fitting among holy ones, 4 no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which
is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. 5 Be sure of this, that no immoral
or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments,
for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
7 So do not be associated with them.
Ephesians
5:18
And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with
the Spirit,
Ephesians
6:1-4
Children, obey your parents (in the Lord), for this is right. 2 "Honor
your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise,
3 "that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on
earth." 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them
up with the training and instruction of the Lord.
1
Timothy 5:8
And whoever does not provide for relatives and especially family members has
denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
James
2:2-8
For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into
your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, 3 and you
pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Sit here, please," while
you say to the poor one, "Stand there," or "Sit at my feet," 4 have you not
made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs? 5 Listen,
my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to
be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love
him? 6 But you dishonored the poor person. Are not the rich oppressing you?
And do they themselves not haul you off to court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme
the noble name that was invoked over you? 8 However, if you fulfill the royal
law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you
are doing well.
Psalm
66:16-18
Come and hear, all you who fear God, while I recount what has been
done for me. 17 I called to the Lord with my mouth; praise was upon my
tongue. 18 Had I cherished evil in my heart, the Lord would not have
heard.
Psalm
73:21-22
Since my heart was embittered and my soul deeply wounded, 22 I was stupid and
could not understand; I was like a brute beast in your presence.
Psalm
90:8
You have kept our faults before you, our hidden sins exposed to your sight.
Proverbs
5:3-6
The lips of an adulteress drip with honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, as sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death, to the nether world her steps attain; 6 Lest you
see before you the road to life, her paths will ramble, you know not where.
Proverbs
10:17
A path to life is his who heeds admonition, but he who disregards reproof goes
astray.
Proverbs
14:14-15
The scoundrel suffers the consequences of his ways, and the good man reaps
the fruit of his paths. 15 The simpleton believes everything, but the shrewd
man measures his steps.
Proverbs
15:11
The nether world and the abyss lie open before the LORD; how much more the
hearts of men!
Proverbs
15:31-33
He who listens to salutary reproof will abide among the wise. 32 He who rejects
admonition despises his own soul, but he who heeds reproof gains understanding.
33 The fear of the LORD is training for wisdom, and humility goes before honors.
Proverbs
16:2-3
All the ways of a man may be pure in his own eyes, but it is the LORD who proves
the spirit. 3 Entrust your works to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs
19:19
The man of violent temper pays the penalty; even if you rescue him, you will
have it to do again.
Proverbs
20:1
Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who goes astray for it is wise.
Proverbs
20:19-20
A newsmonger reveals secrets; so have nothing to do with a babbler! 20 4 If
one curses his father or mother, his lamp will go out at the coming of darkness.
Proverbs
21:9
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than in a roomy house with
a quarrelsome woman.
Proverbs
22:24-25
Be not friendly with a hotheaded man, nor the companion of a wrathful man,
25 Lest you learn his ways, and get yourself into a snare.
Proverbs
23:29-35
Who scream? Who shriek? Who have strife? Who have anxiety? Who have wounds
for nothing? Who have black eyes? 30 Those who linger long over wine, those
who engage in trials of blended wine. 31 Look not on the wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the glass. It goes down smoothly; 32 but in the end it
bites like a serpent, or like a poisonous adder. 33 Your eyes behold strange
sights, and your heart utters disordered thoughts; 34 You are like one now
lying in the depths of the sea, now sprawled at the top of the mast. 35 3 "They
struck me, but it pained me not; They beat me, but I felt it not; When shall
I awake to seek wine once again?"
Proverbs
25:28
Like an open city with no defenses is the man with no check on his feelings.
Proverbs
26:20-22
For lack of wood, the fire dies out; and when there is no talebearer, strife
subsides. 21 What a bellows is to live coals, what wood is to fire, such is
a contentious man in enkindling strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are like
dainty morsels that sink into one's inmost being.
Proverbs
29:1
The man who remains stiff-necked and hates rebuke will be crushed suddenly
beyond cure.
Proverbs
29:11
The fool gives vent to all his anger; but by biding his time, the wise man
calms it.
Proverbs
29:20
Do you see a man hasty in his words? More can be hoped for from a fool!
Proverbs
29:22-23
An ill-tempered man stirs up disputes, and a hotheaded man is the cause of
many sins. 23 Man's pride causes his humiliation, but he who is humble of spirit
obtains honor.
Proverbs
30:11-12
There is a group of people that curses its father, and blesses not its mother.
12 There is a group that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not purged of its
filth.
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