“Anythingism”: The Deadly Drift from Scripture Truth
There is a form of religion that speaks often of God, frequently of love, occasionally of Jesus—and almost never of truth. J.C. Ryle fittingly called it “Anythingism.” Today it thrives under softer, more marketable names: “relevance,” “openness,” “inclusivism,” “authenticity,” or “non-dogmatic faith.” But strip away the branding, and what remains is loosey-goosey theology—a man-centered distortion that refuses the sharp edges of divine revelation.
Scripture does not treat this lightly. The Spirit warns with unmistakable clarity:
“For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3–4)
This is not a hypothetical future—it is a present reality. When doctrine is loosened, truth is abandoned. And when truth is abandoned, Christ Himself is obscured, for He is the Truth.
The Root Problem: Man at the Center
Loose theology is not merely an intellectual error—it is a moral rebellion. It replaces God’s authority with human preference.
Jude exposes the heart of the issue:
“Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 3–4)
Notice the pattern:
Truth is not developed, but “entrusted once for all”
Error creeps in unnoticed, not announced openly
Grace is distorted into permission for sin
Christ is denied in practice, even if affirmed in words
“Anythingism” thrives where Sola Scriptura is abandoned. Once Scripture is no longer the final authority, theology becomes fluid, shaped by culture, sentimentality, and personal experience.
The False Virtue of Doctrinal Indifference
Loose theology often disguises itself as humility:
“No one can really know the truth.”
“Doctrine divides; love unites.”
“We should focus on Jesus, not theology.”
These statements sound gentle—but they are profoundly deceptive.
God does not separate Himself from His truth. To reject doctrinal clarity is to reject the God who speaks clearly. Christ Himself declares that truth is not optional—it is essential to salvation (cf. John 17:17).
Indifference to doctrine is not love. It is hatred disguised as kindness, because it leaves people in error that leads to destruction!
The Fruit of Loose Theology
Where theology is loose, corruption is inevitable. Scripture identifies the fruit plainly in Jude:
“They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality”
“They follow after their own lusts”
“They flatter others for their own advantage”
This is not accidental—it is inevitable.
When God’s holiness is minimized:
Sin is redefined or excused.
Repentance is neglected.
The cross is trivialized.
And eventually, entire churches become what Jude describes as “clouds without water”—promising life, delivering nothing.
The Call: Contend, Not Compromise
The biblical response is not retreat, silence, or tolerance. It is contending:
“...urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.” (Jude 3)
To “contend” means to struggle, to fight—not with worldly weapons, but with unwavering commitment to truth.
This requires:
Doctrinal precision (knowing what Scripture actually teaches)
Moral courage (refusing to soften truth for acceptance)
Spiritual discernment (recognizing error even when it sounds appealing)
Anything less is disobedience.
Christ: The Anchor Against Drift
Loose theology ultimately collapses because it detaches from Christ as He is truly revealed. The real Jesus is not a customizable figure. He is:
The sovereign Lord who commands repentance
The holy Judge who will not overlook sin
The exclusive Savior who alone reconciles sinners to God
Any system that reshapes Christ into something more palatable is not Christianity—it is idolatry.
A Final Warning and Gospel Hope
Loose theology may feel freeing, but it leads to bondage.
It promises inclusivity but delivers eternal exclusion from God’s kingdom.Yet there is mercy.
Even those caught in doctrinal error are called to repentance:
To turn from self-made religion
To submit to the authority of Scripture
To trust in Christ alone for salvation
True grace does not excuse sin—it rescues from it.
Conclusion
“Anythingism” is not harmless. It is a subtle, deadly drift away from the living God. The church must not flirt with it, tolerate it, or repackage it.
The call is clear:
Reject man-centered theology
Cling to the sufficiency of Scripture
Proclaim Christ with clarity and conviction
Truth is not the enemy of love—it is its foundation. And where truth is abandoned, love itself soon follows.
Stand firm. Contend earnestly. And refuse to trade the unchanging truth of God, for the shifting opinions of man.
(The above article was AI generated.)