Already - Not Yet

I thought I would write down briefly my view of the 'already, not yet' issue in Scripture. So here goes:

1) The significance of Christ's ascension is not always appreciated. When he ascended to heaven, he assumed the office and role of 'Lord'. Prior to the incarnation, God the Son was fully God, fully in charge; the difference here is that the man Jesus Christ was made Lord. This was a new thing.

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." (Acts 2:36 ESV)

2) Yet, if he is Lord, one might wonder why there isn't more evidence of this. Simply, Christ's Lordship doesn't mean that everything is subjection to him.

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. (Heb. 2:8 ESV)

The context here quotes from Psalm 8 which refers to generic humanity, but it appears to be used in reference to Christ here by the author of Hebrews.

3) The end will come when all Christ's enemies have been destroyed (vs 25 below). That has not yet happened, which explains why things are not what we wish they were here.

Christ will reign until all his enemies have been destroyed. Then he will hand all things over to God. It's not clear what means in the realm of the Trinity, but it marks the culmination of earthly history.

vs 23b and 24 seem to be in temporal sequence, but v25 and following are not necessarily in sequence after vs24. Rather, vs 25-28 are explanatory of vs 23b-24; notice that vs 28 is talking about the same thing as vs 24.

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.
28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Cor. 15:23-28 ESV)

This may or may not make life easier to live for you, but it helps me because it reminds that personal and world events are all a working-out of this grand plan, which cannot be stopped or derailed.