29 Bible Verses about Futility

when all the time you do not know what will happen on the morrow. For what is your life? You are but a mist, appearing for a brief time, and then vanishing.

For as the sun comes up with a burning heat, it withers the grass, and its flowers fall, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes; so also shall the rich man fade away amid his pursuits.

For the philosophy of this world is foolishness in God's sight. It is written, He snares the wise in their own craftiness, and again, The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, how futile they are.

For although they knew God, yet they did not glorify him as God, nor give him thanks; but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.

This then I tell you and implore you in the Master's name, to pass your lives no longer as the Gentiles do in the perverseness of their minds; having their understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.

"He has showed strength with his arm. "He has scattered proud in the imagination of their hearts; "he has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted those of low degree.

"Years ago Theudas arose, claiming to be somebody, and was joined by about four hundred men. He was killed, and all of his followers dispersed and annihilated. "After him Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some of the people after him. He also perished, and all his followers were scattered. "And now, I say to you, hold aloof from these men. Let them alone; for if this scheme or work be of human origin it will come to nothing;

If you died with Christ to the world's rudimentary notions, why, as if you still lived in the world, do you submit yourselves to dogmatisms found on teachings and doctrines of men??21 such as "Do not handle this," "You must not taste that," "Do not touch this"??22 all things which are intended to perish in the using? For these precepts, although they have a show of wisdom with their self-imposed devotions and fastings and bodily austerities, are of no real value against the indulgence of the carnal appetites.

This is a people that honors me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, While they teach doctrines that are the commands of men."

"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, hypocrites," he answered. "As it is written, 'This people honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far from me; But in vain do they worship me, For their teaching is only human precepts.'"

As for me, brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual men, but as to creatures of flesh, mere babes in Christ. I fed you milk, not meat; for you were unable to bear it. You are not able even now, for you are still unspiritual. While there is among you jealousy and strife, are you not still unspiritual, and behaving like worldlings?

If a man thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own religion,

But avoid foolish questionings and genealogies and dissensions and wranglings about the law; for these are unprofitable and empty.

Let no man deceive you with empty arguments, for it is these vices that bring down the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience;

Let no man at his will defraud you of your prize through his false humility and worship of the angels, taking his stand on the visions he has seen, and vainly puffed up by his material mind;

Some have failed here, and have turned aside to empty argument.

Always call these truths to men's mind; adjuring them in the presence of God to avoid controversy. It is a useless thing, and subverts those who listen to it.

For speaking great swelling words of vanity, they entangle, by their lasciviousness, in the lusts of the flesh, those who are just about to escape from the men that live in misconduct.

"I am the Vine you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears abundant fruit; because apart from me you can do nothing.

On that foundation, if a man proceeds to build gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each man's work will be made manifest. The Day will disclose it, for it dawns in fire, and the fire will test each man's work, of what quality it is. If any man's work??he building he has made??tands the test, he will be rewarded.read more.
If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, as it were through the flames.

For the Good News is come to us just as it did to them. But the message they heard was of no benefit to them, because they did not share the faith of those who gave heed to it.

"And every one who hears these words of mine and does them not, I will liken to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

"Whenever any one hears the message of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. "This is the seed sown by the wayside. And the word, and at once receives it with joy. "But he has no root in himself; he continues for a time, but when trouble arises, or persecutions, on account of the word, at once he stumbles and falls.read more.
"And the seed sown among thorns is he who hears the word, but the anxieties of the age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

And become doers of the Word, and not merely hearers, deceiving yourselves. Because if any one is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for after he has looked carefully at himself, he goes away, and at once forgets what he is like.

But do you want to be convinced, O foolish man, that faith apart from deeds is barren?

and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness, but rather expose them.

For you well know that not with perishable things, with silver or gold, were you redeemed from the emptiness of your manner of life, received by tradition from your ancestors;

If then a man keeps himself clear of these latter, he will be a vessel for honor, consecrated, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.