day no. 16,670: coming to their Head or coming to their end

"Because we do not trust the Spirit’s intricate work in the womb of the world, we think to take over the process. We don’t take it over successfully, obviously, or thwart it, but we do retard it. Because we have become worldly in this way, we have refused to become earthy... The work of God is thereby reduced to the management of a tiny ecclesiastical and doctrinal circle, with the gospel right at the center of it. The gospel is right where it ought to be, right at the center, but it is not doing what it was intended to do, which is to transform the world. Because, for the faithful, there is nothing in the world that is allowed to be outside the circumference." — Douglas Wilson, The Great Gospel-Centered Crack-Up

Keeping the Gospel central is often a catch phrase used to keep it at the periphery. The Gospel is advocated as the center of some miscellany on the perimeter or the axle of some wheel that is not connected to the rest of the car. Yes, we insist, it must be central. But central to what? Is it the Center of everything or just the one thing? Is the Gospel central in its own lane or is it the center of all lanes? The error of western evangellyfish is in insisting that the Gospel be the center of a small, off-to-the-side sphere, one with very little, if any, overlap with the large circle in which we live, move, and have our being. They still insist on it being the center of something which assuages their consciences. They are Gospel-centered after all. It should be central somewhere. But what this misses is everything else. Jesus is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. He is the Center of every other system. All things are coming to their head in Him or coming to their end by His hands.

Colossians 1:17-18

And He (Christ) is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.

Ephesians 1:9-10

For He has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of His will, according to His purpose which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.

1 Corinthians 15:24–26

Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.