29 Bible Verses about Futility

when you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow! You are just a mist, which appears for a little while and then disappears.

For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, and the flowers wither, and all their beauty is gone. That is the way rich men will fade and die in the midst of their pursuits.

For this world's wisdom is foolishness to God. For the Scripture says, "He who catches the wise with their own cunning," and "The Lord knows that the deliberations of the wise are fruitless."

for, though they knew God, they have not honored him as God or given thanks to him, but they have indulged in futile speculations, until their stupid minds have become dark.

So what I mean and insist upon in the Lord's name is this: You must no longer live like the heathen, with their frivolity of mind and darkened understanding. They are estranged from the life of God because of the ignorance that exists among them and their obstinacy of heart,

"He has done mighty deeds with his arm, He has routed the proud-minded, He has dethroned monarchs and exalted the poor,

For some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be a person of importance, and a group of men numbering some four hundred joined him. But he was killed and all his followers were dispersed and disappeared. After him, at the time of the census, Judas of Galilee appeared, and raised a great following, but he too perished, and all his followers were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this idea or movement is of human origin, it will come to naught,

If you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things, why do you act as though you still belonged to the world, and submit to rules like "You must not handle," "You must not taste," "You must not touch"??22 referring to things that are all meant to be used up and destroyed? This is to follow mere human rules and regulations. Such practices pass for wisdom, with their self-imposed devotions, their self-humiliation, and their ascetic discipline, but they carry with them no real distinction, they are really only a catering to the flesh.

" 'This people honor me with their lips, Yet their hearts are far away from me. But their worship of me is all in vain, For the lessons they teach are but human precepts.' "

But he said to them, "It was about you hypocrites that Isaiah prophesied so finely, in the words, " 'This people honor me with their lips, Yet their hearts are far away from me. But their worship of me is all in vain, For the lessons they teach are but human precepts.'

So, for my part, brothers, I could not treat you as spiritual persons; I had to treat you just as creatures of flesh and blood, as babies in Christian living. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Why, you are not ready for it now, for you are still worldly. For when there are still jealousy and quarrels among you, are you not worldly and living on a merely human level?

If anyone thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives himself, his religious observances are of no account.

But have nothing to do with foolish controversies, pedigrees, strife, and wrangles about the Law, for they are profitless and futile.

Whatever anyone may say in the way of worthless arguments to deceive you, these are the things that are bringing God's anger down upon the disobedient.

No one can put you in the wrong by persisting in studied humility and the worship of angels, being absorbed in the visions he has seen, and groundlessly conceited over his mere human mind.

Some people have failed in these things and been diverted into fruitless talk.

Remind men of these things. Charge them before God to avoid idle arguments which do no one any good and only bring destruction on those who listen to them.

They utter arrogant nonsense and use physical cravings to lure into immorality men who are just escaping from among those who live in error;

I am the vine, you are the branches. Anyone who remains united to me, with me united to him, will be very fruitful, for you cannot do anything apart from me.

And whether one uses gold or silver or costly stone in building on the foundation, or wood or hay or straw, the quality of everyone's work will appear, for the Day will show it. For the Day will break in fire, and the fire will test the quality of everyone's work. If what a man has built on the foundation stands the test, he will have his pay.read more.
If a man's work is burned up, he must stand the loss, though he himself will be saved, but as one who has passed through the fire.

For we have had good news preached to us, just as they did, but the message they heard did them no good because they did not agree through faith with what they heard.

And anyone who listens to this teaching of mine and does not act upon it, will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. And the rain fell, and the rivers rose, and the winds blew and beat about that house, and it went down, and its downfall was complete."

When anyone hears the teaching of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and robs him of the seed that has been sown in his mind. That is what was sown along the path. And what was sown upon the rocky soil means the man who hears the message and at once accepts it joyfully, but it takes no real root in him, and lasts only a little while, and when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, he gives it up at once.read more.
And what was sown among the thorns means the man who listens to the message, and then the worries of the time and the pleasure of being rich choke the message out, and it yields nothing.

Obey the message; do not merely listen to it, and deceive yourselves. For anyone who merely listens to the message without obeying it is like a man who looks in a mirror at the face that nature gave him, and then goes off and immediately forgets what he looked like.

But do you want proof, my senseless friend, that faith without good deeds amounts to nothing?

Have nothing to do with the profitless doings of the darkness; expose them instead.

for you know that you have not been ransomed with anything perishable like silver or gold, from the futile way of living in which you were brought up,

So if a man will cleanse himself from these things, he will be put to great uses, consecrated and used by the master of the house himself, and ready for any good use.