Mystery

But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children,
To those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.
Psalm 103:17-18 NASB

Psalm 103 was read yesterday at church. Psalm 103 is my favorite psalm for sure, and perhaps my favorite passage. It is about grace.

These two verses popped for me yesterday, as it occurred to me that I have a very sacred calling to live carefully in order to facilitate, as best I can, God's favor and righteousness on my children and my children's children. What a gift I have the opportunity to participate in giving...His righteousness.

I looked up the word "righteousness," and the lexical aid references Genesis 15:6, where Abraham's faith is reckoned as righteousness. God stamped Abraham's account "righteous" because Abraham believed in the LORD. Simple concept. Tough to live it.

In this Psalms passage, the righteousness is bestowed on those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to DO them! It is relatively simple to remember His precepts -- the catch is in the doing. Knowledge is not faith -- living the precepts -- that constitutes faith.

Covenants are serious matters to God. With Christ came a new covenant in His blood. (Luke 22:20) My obedience will affect my children and my children's children. While I don't believe that my acts will determine the spiritual fate of my offspring, I do believe in the mystery of how God works, and the mystery of how his seal of "righteous" is given -- the mystery of faith. Abraham was declared righteous because of His faith: he believed God's words. My faith is believing what He said in His Word, and His Word says that keeping His covenant and remembering and doing His precepts will impact His righteousness to children's children.

Do I understand the exact formula, or how it all works? Nope. But I do understand that seeking the lovingkindness of the LORD and His righteousness need to be on the top of every year's New Year's resolution list. A relationship with Christ does not require, or even allow for, scientific reasoning. It is a life of faith. Faith that leads to righteousness -- a label not a reality. (in reality I will never be righteous in this life -- but I am righteous in God's eyes because of my faith in the blood of His Son.)

Mystery. Ephesians 6:19 ...the mystery of the gospel...