Going Heretical Is Gradual

People don’t often go heretical all at once. It is gradual. And they do
not do so intentionally most of the time. They slip into it through
shoddiness and laziness in handling the word of truth… All it takes to
start the road to heresy is a craving for something new and different,
a flashy new idea, along with a little laziness or carelessness or lack
of precision in handling the truth of God. All around us today are
startling reminders of doctrinal slippage and outright failure. In case
after case someone who should have known the truth of God better failed
in upholding that truth.

Robert Thomas
Precision as God’s Will for My Life, pamphlet, The Master’s Seminary,
1989.