29 Bible Verses about Futility

And yet you do not know what your life will be like to-morrow! For you are but a mist appearing for a little while and then disappearing.

As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, 'the grass withers, its flower fades,' and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich man. In the midst of his pursuits he will come to an untimely end.

For in God's sight this world's wisdom is folly. Scripture tells of-'One who catches the wise in their own craftiness,' And it says again-'The Lord sees how fruitless are the deliberations of the wise.'

Because, although they learned to know God, yet they did not offer him as God either praise or thanksgiving. Their speculations about him proved futile, and their undiscerning minds were darkened.

This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I say to you and urge upon you: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live, With their powers of discernment darkened, cut off from the Life of God, owing to the ignorance that prevails among them and to the hardness of their hearts.

Mighty are the deeds of his arm; He scatters the proud with their own devices, He casts down princes from their thrones, and the lowly he uplifts,

For not long ago Theudas appeared, professing to be somebody, and was joined by a body of some four hundred men. But he was killed; and all his followers scattered and dwindled away. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census, and induced people to follow him; Yet he, too, perished and all his followers were dispersed. And, in this present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these men, but to let them alone, for, if their designs and their work are merely of human origin, they will come to an end;

Since, with Christ, you became dead to the puerile teaching of this world, why do you submit, as though your life were still that of the world, To such ordinances as 'Do not handle, or taste, or touch'? For all the things referred to in them cease to exist when used. You are following mere human directions and instructions.read more.
Such prohibitions appear reasonable where there is a desire for self-imposed service, and so-called 'humility,' and harsh treatment of the body, but are of no real value against the indulgence of our earthly nature.

'This is a people that honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me; But vainly do they worship me, For they teach but the precepts of men.'"

His answer was: "It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you hypocrites in the words--'This is a people that honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me; But vainly do they worship me, For they teach but the precepts of men.'

But I, Brothers, could not speak to you as men with spiritual insight, but only as worldly-minded-mere infants in the Faith of Christ. I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you were not then able to take it. No, and even now you are not able; you are still worldly. While there exist among you jealousy and party feeling, is it not true that you are worldly, and are acting merely as other men do?

When a man appears to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue, but imposes upon his own conscience, that man's religious observances are valueless.

But have nothing to do with foolish discussions, or with genealogies, or with controversy, or disputes about the Law. They are useless and futile.

Do not let any one deceive you with specious arguments. Those are the sins that bring down the Wrath of God upon the disobedient.

Do not let any one defraud you of the reality by affecting delight in so-called 'humility' and angel-worship. Such a man busies himself with his visions, and without reason is rendered conceited by his merely human intellect.

And it is because they have not aimed at these things that the attention of certain people has been diverted to unprofitable subjects.

Remind people of all this; urge them solemnly, as in the sight of God, to avoid controversy, a useless thing and the ruin of those who listen to it.

With boastful and foolish talk, they appeal to the passions of man's lower nature, and, by their profligacy, entice those who are just escaping from the men who live such misguided lives.

I am the Vine, you are the branches. He that remains united to me, while I remain united to him--he bears fruit plentifully; for you can do nothing apart from me.

Whatever is used by those who build upon this foundation, whether gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, The quality of each man's work will become known, for the Day will make it plain; because that Day is to be ushered in with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of every man's work. If any man's work, which he has built upon that foundation, still remains, he will gain a reward.read more.
If any man's work is burnt up, he will suffer loss; though he himself will escape, but only as one who has passed through fire.

For we have had the Good News told us just as they had. But the Message which they heard did them no good, since they did not share the faith of those who were attentive to it.

And every one that listens to this teaching of mine and does not act upon it may be compared to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and struck against that house, and it fell; and great was its downfall."

When any one hears the Message of the Kingdom without understanding it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what has been sown in his mind. This is the man meant by the seed which was sown along the path. By the seed which was sown on rocky places is meant the man who hears the Message, and at once accepts it joyfully; But, as he has no root, he stands for only a short time; and, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Message, he falls away at once.read more.
By the seed which was sown among the brambles is meant the man who hears the Message, but the cares of life and the glamour of wealth completely choke the Message, so that it gives no return.

Put that Message into practice, and do not merely listen to it--deceiving yourselves. For, when any one listens to it and does not practice it, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. He looks at himself, then goes on his way,

Now do you really want to understand, you foolish man, how it is that faith without actions leads to nothing?

Take no part in deeds of Darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them.

For you know that it was not by perishable things, such as silver and gold, that you were Ransomed from the aimless way of living which was handed down to you from your ancestors,

If, then, a man has escaped from the pollution of such errors as I have mentioned, he will be like a thing kept for better use, set apart, serviceable to its owner, ready for any good purpose.