Then perhaps I should be more clear. Only in our experience of grace. It seems to us that we are close to God at times and that He even hides His face at times but He is never far from one whom He loves. Can you get any closer than Christ is? In Him I am as close as He is. Only in our experience. We are close to Him in Christ even though we may not experience that closeness. Not at all. All believers have exactly the same favor of God. It isn't by our works but by Christ. He earned all the blessings of God and we enjoy them only in Him. The favor that Mary experienced was being the mother of the child Jesus. But she is no closer to God than you or I am. Her favor with God is Christ the same as ours is. The idea that there are some who are more favored by God necessarily means that we earn the favor of God in some way. That means that Christ isn't enough. Christ is all my righteousness, all my holiness, all my hope of favor and all my desire. All the promises of God are in Him and are yeah and amen. In Him we are accepted, adopted, declared holy and righteous and have all the blessings of God poured out on us. The idea of differing rewards in Heaven is a myth created by false preachers in order to coerce goats into doing that which they would not normally do. Believers all get exactly the same thing, whatever it is Christ earned.