Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  5000 Humanity  »  5760 Human attitudes and behaviour  »  5864 futility

All human life and human systems are ultimately useless without God, because death comes to all. God wants to deliver people from their futile ways.

Human life is futile

The brevity of life

Psalm 89:47 See also Job 7:6-7; Job 14:1-2; Psalm 39:4-5; Ecclesiastes 6:12; Isaiah 40:6-7; James 4:14

Death is the destiny of all

Job 9:22; Ecclesiastes 3:19-20; Ecclesiastes 9:2

The dead are forgotten

Psalm 103:15-16; Ecclesiastes 1:11; Ecclesiastes 2:16; Ecclesiastes 9:5

Human endeavour is futile

Ecclesiastes 1:14 The writer speaks of human life without reference to God. See also Psalm 39:6; Psalm 127:2; Ecclesiastes 2:10-23; Habakkuk 2:13; James 1:11

Human thoughts are futile

Psalm 94:11 See also 1 Corinthians 3:19-20; Romans 1:21; Ephesians 4:17-18

Human attitudes are futile

Self-confidence is futile

Isaiah 16:6 See also Jeremiah 48:29-30; Luke 1:51-52

Relying solely on human help is futile

Jeremiah 17:5 See also Psalm 60:11 pp Psalm 108:12; Psalm 146:3-4; Isaiah 2:22; Isaiah 30:1-5; Isaiah 31:1-3; Lamentations 4:17

False religion is futile

Idolatry is futile

2 Kings 17:15 See also 1 Samuel 12:21; Psalm 31:6; Jeremiah 2:5; Jeremiah 10:8,14-15; Jeremiah 16:19; Jonah 2:8

Divination is futile

Isaiah 8:19-22; Ezekiel 13:6-9; Zechariah 10:2

Human religious systems are futile

1 Kings 18:29 See also Isaiah 16:12; Jeremiah 10:5; Acts 5:36-38; Colossians 2:20-23

Nominal religion is futile

Religious observance without true faith is futile

Isaiah 1:13 See also Malachi 3:14; Matthew 15:8-9 pp Mark 7:6-7; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; James 1:26

Mere religious language is futile

Titus 3:9 See also Jeremiah 7:8; Lamentations 2:14; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 2:18; 1 Timothy 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:14; 2 Peter 2:18

Christian endeavour using only human strength is futile

John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Hearing God's word without responding to it is futile

Hebrews 4:2 See also Matthew 7:26-27; Matthew 13:19-22; James 1:22-24; James 2:20

Sin is futile because it achieves nothing

Jeremiah 13:10 See also Psalm 2:1; Psalm 112:10; Psalm 119:118; Proverbs 10:28; Proverbs 11:7; Jeremiah 51:58; Ephesians 5:11

Faithfulness to God may seem to be futile

Psalm 73:13 See also Job 34:9; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Ecclesiastes 8:14; Isaiah 49:4

God wants to deliver people from futile ways

1 Peter 1:18 See also 2 Timothy 2:21

See also

4015  life
4030  world, behaviour in
4190  spiritism
5067  suicide
5839  dissatisfaction
5845  emptiness
6203  mortality
8032  trust, lack of
8748  false religion
8768  idolatry
8784  nominal religion
8820  self-confidence