Bible Verses

The Best 50+ Bible Verses About Sacrifice

Created:
January 15, 2025
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Updated:
January 21, 2025
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Author:
Joseph Cox

Ever wondered what the Bible says about sacrifice? You're in the right place. Let's dive into some of the most profound verses that shed light on this timeless concept.

Whether you're seeking inspiration or simply curious, these passages offer a glimpse into the heart of sacrificial love and devotion. Ready to explore?

50 Bible Verses About Sacrifice

10 Bible Verses on Sacrifice in Worship

Leviticus 1:3-4
  • "If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him." — Leviticus 1:3-4
  • "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise." — Psalm 51:17
  • "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." — Hebrews 13:15
  • "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." — Romans 12:1
  • "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." — 1 Peter 2:5
  • "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream." — Amos 5:21-24
  • "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting." — Isaiah 1:11-13
  • "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." — Hosea 6:6
  • "And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts." — Malachi 1:8
  • "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." — John 4:24

10 Bible Verses on Sacrifice for Others

John 15:13
  • "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." — John 15:13
  • "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2
  • "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." — Philippians 2:3-4
  • "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." — 1 John 3:16
  • "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." — Hebrews 13:16
  • "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’" — Matthew 25:40
  • "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." — Luke 6:38
  • "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." — 2 Corinthians 9:7
  • "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’" — Acts 20:35
  • "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification." — Romans 15:1-2

10 Bible Verses on Sacrifice and Obedience

1 Samuel 15:22
  • "So Samuel said: 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.'" — 1 Samuel 15:22
  • "To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." — Proverbs 21:3
  • "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’" — Jeremiah 7:22-23
  • "With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" — Micah 6:6-8
  • "But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." — Matthew 9:13
  • "And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." — Mark 12:33
  • "Previously saying, 'Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them' (which are offered according to the law), then He said, 'Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.' He takes away the first that He may establish the second." — Hebrews 10:8-9
  • "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." — James 1:22
  • "If you love Me, keep My commandments." — John 14:15
  • "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" — Romans 6:16

10 Bible Verses on Sacrifice of Jesus

John 3:16
  • "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." — John 3:16
  • "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." — Romans 5:8
  • "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." — 1 John 2:2
  • "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." — 1 Peter 3:18
  • "He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." — Hebrews 9:26
  • "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." — Ephesians 5:2
  • "And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross." — Colossians 1:20
  • "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." — 1 Timothy 2:5-6
  • "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." — Isaiah 53:5
  • "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." — Galatians 2:20

10 Bible Verses on Sacrifice and Love

1 Corinthians 13:3
  • "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." — 1 Corinthians 13:3
  • "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her." — Ephesians 5:25
  • "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." — 1 John 4:10
  • "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" — Romans 8:32
  • "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." — John 15:12
  • "We love Him because He first loved us." — 1 John 4:19
  • "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'" — 1 Peter 4:8
  • "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection." — Colossians 3:14
  • "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." — 1 John 3:18
  • "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." — Romans 13:10

What Does the Bible Say About Sacrifice

The Bible's teachings on sacrifice are profound and multifaceted, offering guidance on how to live a life of devotion, love, and obedience. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the concept of sacrifice evolves, yet its core message remains the same: true sacrifice is an act of love and obedience to God.

In worship, sacrifice is not merely about offering material goods but about presenting oneself wholly to God. As Romans 12:1 suggests, we are called to be "living sacrifices," dedicating our lives to God's service. This theme is echoed in Hebrews 13:15, which encourages us to offer "the sacrifice of praise" continually. These verses remind us that our daily actions and attitudes can be acts of worship.

When it comes to others, the Bible emphasizes the importance of selflessness and compassion. John 15:13 speaks of the ultimate sacrifice—laying down one's life for friends. Similarly, Galatians 6:2 urges us to "bear one another’s burdens," highlighting the communal aspect of sacrifice. These teachings inspire us to act with kindness and generosity, reflecting God's love in our interactions.

Finally, the sacrifice of Jesus stands as the ultimate example of love and obedience. John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 illustrate God's immense love for humanity, offering His Son for our salvation. This sacrificial love calls us to live in a way that honors this gift, loving others as Christ loved us (John 15:12).

By embracing these teachings, we can transform our lives and communities, making sacrifice a daily practice of love, worship, and obedience.

How to Apply Sacrifice Bible Verses in Daily Life

Applying the teachings of sacrifice in daily life can start with small, intentional actions. Begin by dedicating time each day to prayer and reflection, offering your day to God as a living sacrifice.

Consider these actionable steps:

  • Serve Others: Volunteer at a local charity or help a neighbor in need. Acts of service reflect the selflessness taught in the Bible.
  • Practice Gratitude: Regularly thank God for your blessings. This can be done through journaling or during prayer.
  • Forgive Freely: Let go of grudges and forgive those who have wronged you, as a way to emulate Christ's sacrificial love.
  • Share Resources: Donate to those less fortunate, whether it's money, food, or clothing. Generosity is a key aspect of biblical sacrifice.
  • Live Simply: Reduce material excess and focus on spiritual growth. This can help you prioritize what truly matters.

By incorporating these practices, you can live a life that honors the biblical teachings on sacrifice. For more prayers and Bible verses, visit PrayersFor or try our Bible Verse Generator to deepen your understanding and faith.

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