49 Bible Verses about Self Sacrifice

Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it. And whosoever shall lose his life, for my sake, the same shall save it.

And Boaz answered and said unto her, "All is told me that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband; how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land where thou wast born, and art come unto a nation which thou knewest not in time past.

Now therefore let me thy servant bide here for the lad, and be my lord's bondman: and let the lad go home with his brethren. For how can I go unto my father, and the lad not with me: lest I should see the wretchedness that shall come on my father?"

For ye suffered also with my bonds, and took in worth the spoiling of your goods, and that with gladness, knowing in yourselves how that ye had in heaven a better, and an enduring substance.

By faith Moses, when he was of a great age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and chose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, and esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches, than the treasure of Egypt. For he had a respect unto the reward.read more.
By faith he forsook Egypt, and feared not the fierceness of the king. For he endured, even as he had seen him which is invisible.

And Jesus said unto him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."

Jesus beheld him, and had a favour to him, and said unto him, "One thing is lacking unto thee. Go, and sell all that thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me, and take up thy cross on thee."

When Jesus heard that, he said unto him, "Yet lackest thou one thing. Sell all that thou hast, and distribute it unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow me."

Sell that ye have, and give alms. And make you bags, which wax not old, and treasure that faileth not in heaven, where no thief cometh, neither moth corrupteth.

Then Peter said, "Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee." And he said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, there is no man that leaveth house: other father and mother, other brethren, or wife, or children: for the kingdom of God's sake, which same shall not receive much more in this world, and in the world to come: life everlasting."

Then answered Peter, and said to him, "Behold we have forsaken all, and have followed thee: what shall we have therefore?" Jesus said unto them, "Verily I say to you, When the son of man shall sit in the seat of his majesty, ye which follow me in the second generation shall sit also upon twelve seats, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And whosoever forsaketh houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake; the same shall receive a hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

And Peter began to say unto him, "Lo, we have forsaken all, and have followed thee." Jesus answered and said, "Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath forsaketh house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, other children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, which shall not receive a hundred fold now in this life, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers and children, and lands with persecutions, and in the world to come eternal life.

And all that believed kept themselves together, and had all things common. And sold their possessions and goods, and departed them to all men, as every man had need.

And the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart; And of one soul. Also, none of them said that any of the things which he possessed was his own: But had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was with them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked. For as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them and brought the price of the things that were sold,read more.
and laid it down at the apostles' feet. And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joseph, which was also called of the apostles Barnabas - that is to say, the son of consolation - being a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, had land, and sold it, and laid the price down at the apostles' feet.

I do you to wit, brethren, of the grace of God, which is given in the congregations of Macedonia: how that the abundance of their rejoicing is, that they are tried with much tribulation. And thereto, though they were exceeding poor, yet have they given exceeding richly, and that in singleness. For to their powers - I bear them record - yea and beyond their power, they were willing of their own accord,read more.
and prayed us with great instance, that we would receive their benefit, and suffer them to be partakers with others in ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we looked for; but gave their own selves first to the Lord, and after unto us by the will of God:

So likewise, none of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, can be my disciple.

He that loveth his father or mother more than me, is not meet for me: and he that loveth his son or daughter more than me, is not meet for me.

"If a man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, moreover and his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

And after that, he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, "Follow me." And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

Yea I think all things but loss for that excellent knowledge's sake of Christ Jesus my Lord. For whom I have counted all thing loss, and do judge them but dung, that I might win Christ,

Verily, verily I say unto you, except the wheat corn fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. If it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall destroy it: And he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.

And he that taketh not his cross and followeth me, is not meet for me.

And whosoever bear not his cross, and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Jesus then said to his disciples. "If any man will follow me, let him forsake himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it. And whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.

And he called the people unto him, with his disciples also, and said unto them, "Whosoever will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it. But whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

And he said to them all, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross on him daily, and follow me. Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it. And whosoever shall lose his life, for my sake, the same shall save it.

Whosoever will go about to save his life, shall lose it: And whosoever shall lose his life, shall save it.

Hereby are we assured of love: because he left his life for us: And therefore we ought also to give our lives for our brethren. He, then, that hath the substance of the world, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his compassion from him: how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, nor with the tongue: but with the deed, and of a truth:

And we always bear in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might appear in our bodies. For we which live, are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might appear in our mortal flesh.

For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all men, that I might win the more. And unto the Jews, I became as a Jew, to win the Jews. To them that were under the law, was I made as though I had been under the law, to win them that were under the law. To them that were without law, became I as though I had been without law - when I was not without law as pertaining to God, but under a law as concerning Christ - to win them that were without law.read more.
To the weak became I as weak, to win the weak. In all thing I fashioned myself to all men, to save, at the leastway, some. And this I do for the Gospel's sake, that I might have my part thereof.

Yea, and why stand we in jeopardy every hour? By our rejoicing, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

They are the ministers of Christ - I speak as a fool - I am more: In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison more plenteously, in death often. Of the Jews, five times received I, every time, forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods. I was once stoned. I suffered thrice shipwreck. Night and day have I been in the deep of the sea.read more.
In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers; in jeopardies of mine own nation, in jeopardies among the heathen. I have been in perils in cities, in perils in wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in labour and travail, in watching often, in hunger, in thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness. And beside the things which outwardly happen unto me, I am cumbered daily and do care for all congregations. Who is sick: and I am not sick? Who is hurt in the faith: and my heart burneth not?

I will very gladly bestow, and will be bestowed for your souls: though the more I love you, the less I am loved again.

The brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall arise against their fathers, and mothers, and shall put them to death, and ye shall be hated of all men, for my name: but he that shall endureth unto the end, shall be saved.

Yea, and the brother shall deliver the brother to death. And the father the son, and the children shall rise against their fathers and mothers, and shall put them to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But whosoever shall endure unto the end, the same shall be safe.

Yea, and ye shall be betrayed of your fathers and mothers, and of your brethren, and kinsmen, and lovers. And some of you shall they put to death. And hated shall ye be of all men for my name's sake.

And though I bestowed all my goods to feed the poor, and though I gave my body even that I burned, and yet had no love, it profiteth me nothing.

but that the holy ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and trouble abide me. But none of those things move me. Neither is my life dear unto myself; that I might fulfill my course with joy, and the ministration which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Yet forgive them their sin, I pray thee: If not, wipe me out of thy book which thou hast written."

And the three of the thirty chiefs went to a rock to David at the cave Adullam. And the Host of the Philistines had pitched in the valley of Rephaim. And David was in a hold. And there was a garrison of the Philistines at Bethlehem that same time. And David longed and said, "Oh that one would give me of the water of the well of Bethlehem that is in the gate, for to drink."read more.
And the three brake through the host of the Philistines and drew of the water of the well of Bethlehem that was in the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink of it, but offered it to the LORD, and said, "God forbid it me, that I should do this thing, that I should drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in Jeopardy." For with the Jeopardy of their lives they brought it, and therefore he would not drink it. This did the three mightiest.

And he went away a little apart, and fell flat on his face, and prayed, saying, "O my father, if it possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."

And he went forth a little and fell down on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, "Abba father, all things are possible unto thee, take away this cup from me. Nevertheless, not that I will, but that thou wilt be done."

saying, "Father if thou wilt, withdraw this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will; But thine be fulfilled."

Yea, and though I be offered up upon the offering and sacrifice of your faith: I rejoice and rejoice with you all.

And they stoned Stephen, calling on and saying, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit." And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. For they know not what they do." And when he had thus spoken he fell asleep.

And she said unto him, "My father, if thou have opened thy mouth unto the LORD, then do with me according to that proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the LORD hath avenged thee of thine enemies the children of Ammon." And she said unto her father, "Do this much for me: let me alone two months that I may go down to the mountains and bewail my virginity with my fellows." And he said, "Go." And so he sent her away two months. And she went with her companions and lamented her maidenhead upon the mountains.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus: Which, being in the shape of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Nevertheless, he made himself of no reputation, and took on him the shape of a servant, and became like unto men, and was found in his apparel as a man.read more.
He humbled himself and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the cross.

Others tasted of mockings, and scourgings, moreover of bonds and prisonment: were stoned, were hewn asunder, were tempted, were slain with swords, walked up and down in sheep skins, in goat skins, in need, tribulation, and vexation, which the world was not worthy of: They wandered in wilderness, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

And I saw seats, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God: which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had taken his mark upon their foreheads, or on their hands: and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.