It is required of all people, including especially those in the household of God, that men keep God’s commandments. Moreover, the punishment for sin will be fiercer against disobedient children of God than against sinners who never entered into covenant with Him. “Judgment begins at the house of God”, wrote Peter. And then he added, “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the sinner and the ungodly appear?” Everything in the book of Isaiah, as well as everything in the entire Bible, proclaims the truth that for everyone “the wages of sin is death.” Those wages will most certainly be paid because “God is not mocked; whatsoever any man sows, that shall he also reap.”

Every sin has its consequence, and every sinner is worthy of the punishment he will receive from God, but “of how much worse punishment, do you think, shall he be thought worthy who has trodden under foot the Son of God and has counted the blood of the covenant, with which he was sanctified, an unholy thing?” (Heb. 10:29). Every liar will be punished with everlasting fire (Rev. 21:8), but a child of God who lies will receive a greater degree of eternal suffering. Because they were God’s people who had been taught the right way, Israelites who rejected Jesus when he walked among them will receive greater damnation than Gentiles who rejected Jesus at the same time (Mt. 11:20-24; Jn. 19:11). Jesus said that if he returns and finds that one of his servants has been grossly derelict in his duty, then he will “cut him in pieces, and will appoint him his portion with unbelievers”, but that “portion” of damnation will be harsher than the portion of the unbelievers because “unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Lk. 12:46-48). One can sense the terror of the Lord in Peter’s comments concerning the judgment of rebellious children of God: “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they had known it, to turn from the holy commandment given unto them” (2Pet 2:21).

Rather than lessening accountability for our actions, being born of the Spirit and becoming a child of God makes us more accountable for them. God’s children are held to a higher standard because God is just, and it is right that He require more of those who know more. Who is worthy of more punishment if two children have each taken too many cookies from the cookie jar? The child who had been told not to do that and had promised that he would not, or the child who had never been taught not to do that? God is just, and in His kingdom, those who know more about right and wrong will be judged by a higher standard than will the ignorant. Jesus said, “That servant who knew his Lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes” (Lk. 12:47-48a).

To enter into covenant with God means that we agree with Him that we should be and will be saved in the end, if we obey Him, and that we should be and will be damned if we do not. Entering into His covenant means that we agree before the Day of Judgment that whatever God decides on the Day of Judgment will be right.