29 Bible Verses about Futility

although you do not have the slightest knowledge of tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? It is really nothing but 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 its flowers wither, and its beauty fades away; so will rich men fade away in their pursuits.

For this world's wisdom is mere nonsense to God. For the Scripture says, "He who catches the wise with their own cunning," and again, "The Lord knows that the arguings of the wise are useless."

because, although they once knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give Him thanks, but became silly in their senseless speculations, and so their insensible hearts have been shrouded in darkness.

So I mean this and now testify to it in the name of the Lord: You must now stop living as the heathen usually do, in the frivolity of their minds, with darkened understanding, estranged from the life of God because of the ignorance that exists among them and because of the stubbornness of their hearts;

He has done mighty deeds with His arm. He has scattered those that are proud in the purpose of their hearts. He has dethroned monarchs and exalted the poor.

For in the days gone by Theudas appeared, claiming that he was a man of importance, and a considerable number of men, about four hundred, espoused his cause, but he was slain and all his followers were dispersed and as a party annihilated. After him, at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax, Judas the Galilean appeared and influenced people to desert and follow him, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered. So in the present case, I warn you, stay away from these men, let them alone. For, if this program or movement has its origin in men, it will go to pieces,

If once through fellowship with Christ you died and were separated from the world's crude notions, why do you live as though you belonged to the world? Why submit to rules such as, "You must not handle," "You must not taste," "You must not touch," which refer to things that perish in the using, in accordance with human rules and teachings?read more.
Such practices have the outward expression of wisdom, with their self-imposed devotions, their self-humiliation, their torturings of the body, but they are of no value; they really satisfy the lower nature.

"'This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far, far away from me; Their worship of me is an empty show; the things they teach are only men's precepts.'"

But He answered them, "Isaiah beautifully prophesied about you hypocrites; as the Scripture says: "'This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far, far away from me; Their worship of me is but an empty show; the things they teach are but men's precepts.'

So I myself, brothers, could not deal with you as spiritual persons, but as creatures of human clay, as merely baby Christians. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you could not take it. Why, you cannot take it even now, for you are still unspiritual. For when there are still jealousy and wrangling among you, are you not still unspiritual and living by a human standard?

If anyone thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives himself, his religious worship is worthless.

But hold yourself aloof from foolish controversies, pedigrees, strife, and wrangles about the law, for these are fruitless and futile.

Stop letting anyone deceive you with groundless arguments about these things, for it is because of these very sins that God's anger comes down upon the disobedient.

Stop letting anyone, in gratuitous humility and worship of angels, defraud you as an umpire, for such a one is taking his stand on the mere visions he has seen, and is groundlessly conceited over his sensuous mind.

Some people have stepped aside from these things and turned to fruitless talking.

Keep on reminding men of these things. Solemnly charge them before God to stop petty debating, which does no good at all but brings destruction on those who hear it.

For by uttering arrogant nonsense, through base desires of the lower nature, they entice into immorality men who are just escaping from those who live in error,

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with me and I in union with him will bear abundant fruit, because you cannot do anything cut off from union with me.

And whether one puts into the building on the foundation gold or silver or costly stones, or wood or hay or straw, the character of each one's work will come to light, for the judgment day will show it up. This is so, because that day will show itself in fire, and the fire will test the character of each one's work. If the structure which one builds upon it stands the test, he will get his pay.read more.
If the structure which one builds is burned up, he will get no pay; and yet he himself will be saved, but just as one who goes through a fire.

For we have had the good news told to us as well as they, but the message heard did them no good, because they were not by faith made one with those who heeded it.

And anyone who listens to my words and does not practice their teaching, will be like an imprudent man who built his house on sand. And the rain fell, and the rivers rose, and the wind blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and the wreck of it was complete."

When anyone hears the message of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and carries off the seed that was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. And what was sown upon the thin rocky soil illustrates the man who hears the message and bubbling over with joy at once accepts it, but it takes no real root in him, and he lasts only a little while, and just as soon as suffering and persecution come for the truth's sake, he at once yields and falls.read more.
And what was sown among the thorns illustrates the man who hears the message, and the worries of the times and the pleasures of being rich choke the truth out, and he yields no fruit.

Keep on obeying this message; do not merely listen to it, and so deceive yourselves. Because if anyone merely listens to the message without obeying it, he is like a man who looks in a mirror at his own face, for he looks and then goes off and at once forgets how he looked.

But, O senseless man, are you willing to learn that faith without good deeds is worthless?

Stop having anything to do with the profitless doings of darkness; instead you must continue to expose them.

because you know that you have not been ransomed with things that perish as silver or gold, from the futile way of living taught by your fathers,

So if a man will cleanse himself from these things, he will be an instrument for honorable uses, consecrated, useful for the Master, and ready for any good service.