It probably was the Gnostic belief that matter is evil and spirit is good that caused the change in the Christian hope from the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth to the flight of the believers to the spirit Paradise to make their eternal home there.

The Scriptures do not teach that we are to make our eternal home in Heaven. The Scriptures are quite materialistic in viewpoint. God pronounced the material creation "very good." The Lord Jesus came in order to redeem the physical creation from the hand of Satan. Even our mortal bodies are to be redeemed.

Evil came to us from the spirit realm, not from the physical realm.

Christianity is the opposite of Gnosticism.

It probably was Paul's emphasis on setting our affection on things above that caused the early believers to receive some of the ideas of Gnosticism. They did not realize that Paul referred to the development of the Kingdom of God in the spirit realm prior to its coming to the earth.

We see, then, that both humanism and Gnosticism, intentionally or not, act to destroy the necessity for righteous behavior. Yet the creation of righteous behavior throughout the universe of God is the purpose of the new covenant.

All religions have special furnishings and architecture, special mysteries, and a required code of conduct—all except Christianity. Satan has been successful in convincing the Christian churches that there is no required code of conduct, we are saved by grace through faith. Therefore the Christian churches are not bearing the Divine testimony, because the Divine testimony is not in belief but in good works. Men must see our good works before they will glorify God.

Antinomianism: Antinomianism, an evil child of Gnosticism, is the doctrine that salvation is by grace and faith alone and there are no commandments that must be obeyed. Does this sound familiar? This heresy dates back to the early centuries of the Christian Era.

The most casual examination of the New Testament will show the error of today's teaching of lawless grace. If we were to set down all the passages of the New Testament that express the necessity for keeping God's commandments this essay would turn into a substantial volume.

A few passages from the Book of First John should suffice to reveal clearly that new-covenant grace is not an alternative to righteous behavior but the means by which we are enabled to keep God's commandments.

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation [appeasement] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (1 John 2:1-5)

Can you see from this passage that we are supposed to keep the righteous commandments of the Lord?

To be continued.