Philemon 1:3
3 Grace [charis] to you [humin], and [kai] peace [eirene], from [apo] God [theos] our [hemon] Father [pater] and [kai] the Lord [kurios] Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear
3 Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. NASB
Grace means favor and
peace means prosperity, and there is only one source of true prosperity and
favor and that is from God the Father.
However, humanity does
not have direct access to the Father, since the plan of the Father requires
that man approach Him through the Son, Jesus Christ.
That is the single and
biggest difference that sets Christianity apart, from all other beliefs,
religions, philosophies and so forth.
All non-Christian approaches
to God, seek direct access to the Father, or some other similar deity or
concept, based on human attributes alone.
That is to say, man by means of mans efforts can gain access and
approval from God.
Christianity however
discounts mans efforts as being no more valuable than the arrogance that
creates mans efforts, which means that mans efforts have no value whatsoever. Therefore, the emphasis is on Gods efforts,
specifically that of Christ, who went to the Cross and paid the debt of mans
sins, in behalf of mankind.
So the fundamental
principle of Christianity is faith in God (the Father), through Christ.
The fundamental
rejection of this plan is rejection of Christ, in mans attempt to approach the
Father directly.Man in his arrogance,
presumes that he is capable of overcoming his weakness and flaws himself, and
therefore God should accept him.
The ultimate objective
of life is gaining the favor from the highest authority and power, in heaven
and the universe.Favor means gaining
the perks and benefits of having a relationship with someone who has unlimited
resources and wealth and power.God is
of course the best connection that anyone can possibly have.
Possessing the favor of
God means that you have entered into the proprietary club, as it were, where
believers only are eligible for the blessings that He has to give. As you advance in your spiritual life, these
blessings grow exponentially with your growth.
The result is peace,
which means prosperity, security, happiness, contentment, meaning and fulfillment
in ones life, and all of these kinds of things.
Grace and peace come
only from God the Father.
Grace and peace come only
through Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace, come
only within the framework of Christianity, and increase dramatically with
spiritual growth.