44 Bible Verses about Self Sacrifice

for whoever would save his life, shall lose it: and he that would lose his life, out of love to me, shall save it.

for you were passionately affected for those who were in bonds, and were pleas'd at the seizing of your goods, knowing that you have what is more excellent and lasting.

by faith Moses when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the sufferings of Israel greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had an eye to the reward.read more.
by faith he left Egypt without being apprehensive of the king's resentment: for he remain'd firm, as if he saw him who is invisible.

Jesus said, if thou wilt be perfect, go sell your estate, give the value to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: then come and follow me.

then Jesus looking upon him with a favourable eye, said, there is one thing still to be done; go, sell all your estate, and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; then come, take up the cross, and follow me.

upon hearing that, Jesus said to him, one thing you have yet to do: sell all you have, and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: then come, and follow me.

sell your possessions and give alms. lay up for yourselves a stock not subject to decay, a treasure in the heavens that will never fail, where no thief can approach, nor moth can spoil.

Then said Peter, you see that we have left every thing to follow you. Jesus answer'd, I declare unto you, no one has ever quitted house or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, upon account of the gospel-dispensation, who shall not receive abundantly more even in this age, and everlasting life in the age to come.

Then said Peter, but we, who have left every thing to follow thee; what advantage shall we get by it? Jesus reply'd, I declare unto you, that in the new age, when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye that have followed me shall likewise sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. and every one that abandons his family, his brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake, shall receive in that age an hundred times the value, and shall inherit hereafter everlasting life.

Then Peter thus address'd himself to Jesus, you see we have left every thing to follow you. Jesus answered him, I declare unto you, there is not a man who has forsaken his house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, out of love to me and to the gospel, but shall receive at present in this age, what will be a hundred times better to him, than houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, tho' with persecution: and in the age to come eternal life.

All that believed were united together, and had all things in common, so that they sold their possessions and goods, and distributed the money to every one as his occasions required.

Now the whole body of believers were but one heart, and one soul: no one look'd upon what he possessed, as his own, but every thing was held in common. Great was the power by which the apostles attested the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and they were all greatly favoured by the people. for there was no poor among them, because as many as bad lands or houses, sold them, and brought the value,read more.
which they laid down at the apostles feet: and they distributed it to every man as his occasions required. among the rest one Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (that is to say, the son of consolation) a Levite, and a native of Cyprus, sold an estate he had, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles feet.

I must acquaint you, brethren, with the contribution which the churches of Macedonia have religiously made, who tho' labouring under great trial of affliction, and extreme poverty, have notwithstanding with exceeding cheerfulness contributed very liberally: being forward of themselves to the utmost of their power, (I bear them witness) yea, and beyond their power:read more.
earnestly intreating me to take the gift, and the charge of conveying it to the converts at Jerusalem: and in this they out-did my expectation; such was the divine pleasure, they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then made me an offer to go themselves to Corinth.

in like manner every one of you must count upon renouncing all that he has, otherwise he cannot be my disciple.

he that loveth father or mother more than me, is unworthy of me: he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is unworthy of me.

and said, he that can't abandon his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, nay, even his own life, cannot be my disciple.

After this Jesus left the place, and seeing a publican named Levi, sitting at the custom-house, he said to him, follow me. immediately he rose up, left all his affairs, and became his disciple.

nay I think them disadvantages when put in competition with the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord: for whose sake I abandon all these things, and count them as straw, that I may gain Christ,

verily, verily I say unto you, when a corn of wheat is thrown into the ground, there it lies a single grain unless it dies: but if it die, it becomes very fruitful. he that loveth his life, shall lose it: but he that sacrifices his life in this world, shall preserve it to eternity.

and he that does not take his cross, and so follow after me, is unworthy of me.

and he that does not bear his cross, and tread in my steps, cannot be my disciple.

Then addressing himself to his disciples, if any man, said he, would follow me, let him renounce himself, take up his cross, and so follow me. for whosoever will save himself, shall be a looser: and whosoever shall suffer loss for my sake, shall be a gainer.

Then addressing himself to the people, and his disciples, he said, he that desires to be under my conduct, let him renounce himself, and follow me. for he that would save his life, shall lose it; and he that would lose his life out of love to me and the gospel, he shall save it.

Then he said to the whole company, if any one will be my follower, let him renounce himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. for whoever would save his life, shall lose it: and he that would lose his life, out of love to me, shall save it.

he that seeks to save his life, will expose it; and he that exposes his life, will preserve it.

this is the proof of the divine love, Christ expos'd his life for us: and we ought to expose our lives for the brethren. he that possesses the enjoyments of life, and seeing his brother in want, has no compassion for him, how can he be said to have any divine love? my dear children, let not our love be only in the language of our lips, but in the real effects of the heart.

always bearing about in my body the marks of sufferings like those of Jesus, so that Jesus might be plainly prov'd to be alive by the sufferings of my body. for as long as I live I shall be exposed to death for the sake of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest by the preservation of our mortal life.

for tho' I am independent of all men, yet have I subjected myself to all, that I might gain the more. to the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law; to those who are without the law, as without that law, (not as being under no law to God, but as under the law to Christ) that I might gain those who are without the law.read more.
to the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I became all things to all men, that I might save all sorts of men. and I do all for the gospel's sake, that I may share in the benefits thereof.

and why do we continually expose our lives to danger? I am daily receiving new mortifications, witness your cruel boastings against me, which I bear for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord;

so am I: are they ministers of Christ? is it my vanity? I am more so: in toilsome labours I surpass them, in stripes I am exceedingly beyond them, in prisons I have been oftner, and frequently in the very jaws of death. from the Jews I have five times received forty stripes save one. thrice was I whip'd with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I was shipwreck'd; a night and a day I was floating on the deep:read more.
in my voyages I have been frequently in perils from rivers, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the country, in perils at sea, in perils among false brethren; expos'd to toil, to fatigue, to frequent watchings, to hunger and thirst, to frequent fastings, to cold and penury. besides these troubles from without, that which crouds upon me daily, the care of all the churches. who is afflicted, and I not suffer? who is offended, and I not inflam'd?

I shall be glad to sacrifice myself and all I have for your service, even tho' it should happen that the more I love you, the less I should be beloved.

then the brother shall betray his brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against their parents, and be the instruments of their death. and ye shall be hated by all the world for professing my name: but he that perseveres unto the end, shall escape.

then the brother shall betray his brother to death, and the father his son: children shall prosecute their parents, and be the instruments to take away their lives: you will be the object of universal hatred upon my account; but he that shall persevere unto the end, shall be saved.

you will be betrayed even by your very parents, and brethren, and kindred, and friends. nay, some of you they will prosecute even to death. you will be hated by all mankind for professing my name,

and tho' I distribute my whole substance to the poor, and give my body to be burned, and have not social affection, it profits me nothing.

save what the holy spirit in every city declares, "that bonds and afflictions wait for me." things that little affect me, nor is life so much my concern, as to finish my course, and the charge I receiv'd from the Lord Jesus, to attest the declaration of the divine favour.

Then advancing a little further, he fell prostrate in prayer, and said, "O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not mine, but thy will be done."

then advancing a little further, he fell on the ground, and prayed, that this anxiety might pass from him. saying, father, all things are possible to thee, take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.

he pray'd in these words, father, "O that you would divert this cup from me! nevertheless not my will, but thine be done."

and if my blood should serve as a libation to ratify your faith, I should rejoice and congratulate with you all thereupon;

Thus they stoned Stephen, while he was calling upon God, and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." and on his knees he cried with a loud voice, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." and having said this, he expired.

for the same temper of mind ought to be in you as was in Christ Jesus: who tho' he was the image of God, did not affect to appear with divine majesty, but divested himself thereof, by assuming the form of a servant: being made in the likeness of men,read more.
and his whole exterior showing nothing more than a meer man, he abased himself, and carried his submission so far as to die, even the death of the cross.

others suffer'd cruel indignities and scourgings, besides chains and imprisonment. they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandred about in sheepskins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented: (of whom the world was not worthy) they wandred in desarts, and in mountains, having no retreat but the dens and caves of the earth.

I saw likewise thrones, where persons were seated, to whom the power of judging was given: and I saw the souls of those that were beheaded for the testimony they had given to Jesus, and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast, nor his image, nor had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.