What most Christians don't know is that the doctrine of the heretics warned about in the epistles has become mainstream doctine in many churches. Gnosticism is very prevalent today just as it was back then, but people don't know that they are believing gnostic lies.
Common Gnostic Lies
LIE: The body is evil and produces sin. You cannot be holy and stop sinning until you die. Only then will you be perfected. (Death is therefore the saviour from sin, not Jesus.)
TRUTH:
By one sacrifice He has perfected forever them that are sanctified (Heb 10:14)
...our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Rom 6:6)
LIE: God doesn't see your sin when you sin, He only sees your spirit which is pure. All sin is hidden by the blood of Jesus.
TRUTH: Gnostics taught that it was only your body sinning but your spirit stayed pure before God, no matter what you did. Sin didnt matter. Hence all the warnings in NT.
@mayahb Satan has always been a murderer and a liar. He simply repackages the same lies in a slightly different format for every new generation and culture.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. - John 8:44
@NickAustin
Gnostic Heresy Cont...
LIE: The devil is the only source of all bad circumstances. God only loves people and only does good to people. He never punishes anyone.
TRUTH: The gnostics taught this heresy. They taught that Father God (OT God) was really the devil pretending to be God, and Jesus was actually the snake in the garden that came to save people from the Father!!! They believed Jesus's Father was a different god that is only nice to people, never punishes them. (Original satanic doctrine..yikes).