Luke 9:24
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
What it says
He says that saving life leads to loss, while losing life for him leads to salvation.
What it is doing
The verse reverses the usual calculation of self-preservation.
In context
23Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27But I tell you truly, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”