The big question, and the way you answer it, is one of the major things that separates Gnostic Christians from most other Christians.  
    The Old Testament of the Bible, and the Jewish Torah on which it is based, describes God as angry, vengeful and jealous.  He has no problem with killing people or destroying entire cities if they break his rules.  He has no problem ordering a father to kill his son, as with Abraham, just to prove his devotion.
    The New Testament, on the other hand, describes a God who is forgiving, loving and tolerant.  He may not approve of our human weaknesses and frailties, but is is understanding of them.  Through Jesus, we see this God healing the sick, aiding the poor, and even raising the dead.
    The big question then: Is the God of the Old Testament the same God as described by Jesus and his followers in the New Testament?  The Gnostics conclude that the answer to this question is No, they are not the same.  
    The angry, jealous God of the old testament is a lesser god, a fallen angel pretending to be God, but at least somewhat aware that he isn't the true, ultimate God (otherwise, who would he have to be jealous of?)  Gnostics call this god "the demiurge" or "demiurgos" which literally means a craftsman because he crafted the physical world out of the spiritual and thus created a lesser world that is flawed with death, disease, etc.  
    The God Jesus describes in the new testament is the true one, according to Gnostics.  This is the spiritual God who is all powerful and omnipresent.  He does not get jealous, or even angry, though He is disappointed that we continue to fall further and further into the trap of materialism.  He provides hope of redemption, while the demiurge offers no such thing.