61 Bible Verses about Unselfishness

"I can do nothing of myself; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

For even Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."

Now Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have been with me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments, took a towel and girded himself. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich.

Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you must be your servant. And whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.read more.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to deatheven death on a cross.

For this reason my Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father."

When we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous manthough perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.

who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him.

"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth;" when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he uttered no threats, but he trusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit;

who gave himself as a ransom for allthe testimony given at the proper time.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Then he said to them all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

You were taught, with regard to your former manner of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful lusts;

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I do not know. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better;read more.
but to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

But whatever was gain to me, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count everything to be loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith,read more.
that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.read more.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; outdo one another in showing honor.

"All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord forgave you, so you also must forgive.

Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share,

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble in spirit.

Likewise you that are younger men be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the youngest, and he who leads as one who serves.

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.

shepherd the flock of God that is under your care, serving as overseersnot under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;

And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many people who were rich put in large sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.read more.
For they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in everythingall she had to live on."

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried to him, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us."read more.
He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me!" And he answered, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive perfume, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?read more.
For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and given to the poor." But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. For in pouring this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly. And she broke the flask and poured it over his head. But there were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was this ointment wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply.read more.
But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."

John answered, "A man can receive only what is given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but I have been sent before him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now full.read more.
He must increase, but I must decrease.

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, For all who were owners of land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the salesread more.
and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Josnt who was called by the apostles Barnabas (which means, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field which he owned, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks;

You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brethren,

I have no one else like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

So receive him in the Lord with all joy; and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.