What does the Bible say about serving the lord?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Matthew 6:24

  "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon.

• Malachi 3:14-18

  [14] You have said, 'It is vain to serve God;' and 'What profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Hosts? [15] Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.' [16] Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name. [17] They shall be mine," says Yahweh of Hosts, "my own possession in the day that I make, and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. [18] Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn't serve him.

• Joshua 24:15

  If it seem evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.

• Proverbs 3:1-35

  [1] My son, don't forget my teaching; But let your heart keep my commandments: [2] For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to you. [3] Don't let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart. [4] So you will find favor, And good understanding in the sight of God and man. [5] Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, And don't lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge him, And he will direct your paths. [7] Don't be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil. [8] It will be health to your body, And nourishment to your bones. [9] Honor Yahweh with your substance, With the first fruits of all your increase: [10] So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. [11] My son, don't despise Yahweh's discipline, Neither be weary of his reproof: [12] For whom Yahweh loves, he reproves; Even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights. [13] Happy is the man who finds wisdom, The man who gets understanding. [14] For her good profit is better than getting silver, And her return is better than fine gold. [15] She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her. [16] Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor. [17] Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace. [18] She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her. [19] By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens. [20] By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, And the skies drop down the dew. [21] My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion: [22] So they will be life to your soul, And grace for your neck. [23] Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won't stumble. [24] When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet. [25] Don't be afraid of sudden fear, Neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes: [26] For Yahweh will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being taken. [27] Don't withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do it. [28] Don't say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, Tomorrow I will give it to you," When you have it by you. [29] Don't devise evil against your neighbor, Seeing he dwells securely by you. [30] Don't strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. [31] Don't envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways. [32] For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, But his friendship is with the upright. [33] Yahweh's curse is in the house of the wicked, But he blesses the habitation of the righteous. [34] Surely he mocks the mockers, But he gives grace to the humble. [35] The wise will inherit glory, But shame will be the promotion of fools.

• Matthew 20:28

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

• John 4:34

  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.

• John 15:1-27

  [1] "I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. [2] Every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. [3] You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. [4] Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. [5] I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If a man doesn't remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. [7] If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you. [8] "In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. [9] Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. [10] If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and remain in his love. [11] I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full. [12] "This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. [14] You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. [15] No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn't know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. [16] You didn't choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. [17] "I command these things to you, that you may love one another. [18] If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. [19] If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. [20] Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his lord.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. [21] But all these things will they do to you for my name's sake, because they don't know him who sent me. [22] If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. [23] He who hates me, hates my Father also. [24] If I hadn't done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn't have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father. [25] But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.' [26] "When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. [27] You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

• John 3:3

  Jesus answered him, "Most assuredly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can't see the Kingdom of God."

• John 3:16

  For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

• Mark 10:45

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

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