Princes Among Us: Setting Our Affections Above
By Dr. Tom Wallace | April 7, 2024, 11 AM
In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul writes: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Philippians 4:8 adds: “Whatsoever things are true… honest… just… pure… lovely… of good report… think on these things.” On April 7, 2024, Dr. Tom Wallace, a 94-year-old preacher, delivered “Princes Among Us,” urging believers to shift focus from earthly woes to heavenly promises. Three truths emerge: salvation transforms us, heaven awaits with glory, and our response shapes eternity.
A New Creature in Christ
Dr. Wallace, a great-great-grandfather, reflects on aging—visiting brothers aged 90 and 96—yet insists he doesn’t feel old. Colossians calls us, as those “risen with Christ,” to look beyond arthritis, hospitals, and funerals. Salvation changed him on General Motors’ assembly line: from chasing a $10 million salary to answering God’s call to preach. New ambitions, habits (quitting harmful vices), music (swapping Nashville tunes for hymns), and a joyful expression followed. “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17)—a transformation he hopes all experience.
Heaven’s Glorious Promise
Setting affections above, Dr. Wallace envisions heaven: an adventure with angels escorting us to God’s throne, a new atmosphere of love and joy (Galatians 5:22), accommodations in the New Jerusalem (John 14:2), a glorified body shining with eternal reward (Daniel 12:3), and a new cosmos—new heavens and earth (Revelation 21:1). The city, 1,500 miles cubed, glows with Christ’s light, its foundations jeweled, offering each saint vast space. Waking at night, he prays for this, comforted by its contrast to earthly struggles like his wife’s hospital tests.
Our Response Matters
Paul’s glimpse of heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) was beyond words, like a bee tasting human life then returning to the hive. Dr. Wallace ties trials—like Job’s or his wife’s death—to Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good.” God uses suffering to teach resilience, promising reward for faithful response. He closes with a plea: ensure your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Pray: “Dear Lord, if You’re not in my heart, come in now. I believe You died for me. Save me.” Set your mind on Christ, not earth’s fleeting cares.
