God defends what He values. The treasure He is so protective of is us, His children. To this end, Jesus says [John 10:29]:

“No one can kidnap them [God’s children] from me.”* [*Living Bible]

It is impossible to bypass heaven’s security system. If you dare messing with God’s children, you will have to face the Lion of Judah.

We are highly treasured. God paid a high price to win us back. He gave us His Son so we might live through Him. Eternal life represents the fulfillment of God’s fondest wish: to be reunited with His children.

A long time ago mankind had lost access to Paradise and it seemed impossible to get back. We have been paying for our mistakes, only to find out that we could not possibly pay our way back to heaven. The gap between the Godhead and humankind seemed impossible to bridge, but Jesus made it all possible.

Reconciliation is Jesus’s gift to His Father and our Father, to His God and our God. It is a family reunion. The door to this family reunion is wide open. Once we recognize that and walk through that door we have eternal life.

The afterlife is not what eternal life is all about. That would be a misunderstanding. Eternal life begins on this side of heaven and is just another expression for living life with God. Life with God starts in the here and now – to be continued in the afterlife.

There is such a thing as heaven on earth and it does not represent fame, success and wealth. Fame, success and wealth always come with strings attached and it would be a lousy existence if that was to represent eternal life. God gives us something far better: His heart – and His heart is an unconditional gift. Walking with God and experiencing His love is the greatest treasure there is.

This is what eternal life is all about: we love God and He loves us. In heaven our eyes will see what our heart already knows.