Paul Tripp: Death is always out of place. Death is always an unwelcomed guest. You may never invite it, but it will enter your door, and when it does, it will leave you changed forever.

Kate Crowley: Welcome to Right Here, Right Now. In today's program from Paul Tripp Ministries, join us as Paul connects the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.

Male Voice: He sobbed uncontrollably as he told me his horrible story. It had started out as a day of fun with his kids. He was a busy career guy, so giving his wife a day like this was rare and greatly appreciated. He had no idea at the beginning of the day the horror that laid ahead of him that would twist his mind, devastate his emotions, and leave his life in shambles.

I'll never forget how I felt as he told me. I could feel my knees getting weak and a bead of sweat trickling down my back. I wanted to plug my ears. I wanted to run away, but I knew I couldn't. I asked him to sit down. I don't know if I did it for him or for me.

He wept and he wept as he told of the accident scene where he saw his daughter's body lying broken, twisted, and lifeless on the pavement. He stayed home with the baby as his wife had taken their three-year-old child to the community pool for an afternoon of fun. After their swim, they were crossing the road to get to the car. Suddenly their three-year-old daughter let go of her mother's hand and darted into the street.

It happened in a split second, and it was over before anyone had time to react. A speeding SUV struck and killed her. He looked me in the face as he kept repeating in his tears, "My three-year-old daughter is dead. My three-year-old daughter is dead!" I felt so helpless. I felt so much pain and anger and I just didn't know what I could do to help him. I know I mumbled something, but I don't even remember what it was.

Music: "A Sun Came" by Sufjan Stevens

Everything you are is everything we have
You're the only good thing
A sun came burned our faces brown
Burned our faces red
You are still the rage
A rock from the enemy
There is still a house
A cage for the enemy
When my friends turned out
I found out there is still a Lord
But I never felt so lonely
A sun came

Kate Crowley: This is Right Here, Right Now. Don't go away. In just a moment, Paul Tripp shares some words of hope amidst life's darkest moments.

Be sure and let your friends know that they can join Paul here on the radio or via the website, paultrippministries.org. And while your there, learn why War of Words, Paul's book on the power of words, can provide freedom from words of despair. That's at paultrippministries.org, all one word. Paul Tripp spelled T-R-I-P-P, paultrippministries.org.

More on "When Grief Enters Your Door" in today's study, "What to Think" on Right Here, Right Now with Paul Tripp.

We All Live in a Broken World

Paul Tripp: Let me share a shocking fact with you. We all live in the real world. We all live in a world that's not operating the way it was designed to operate. We all live in a place, in case you hadn't noticed it, that is terribly broken and that is in deep need of repair.

We all live webbed into a network of relationships so none of us will be successful in escaping life's harsh realities. If they don't hit us, they will hit a person next to us. None of us will successfully avoid disappointment. None of us will successfully avoid pain. None of us will successfully avoid loss.

Each of the things that I have just talked about is an inescapable fact in a fallen world. Things do malfunction. Things do break. Things simply quit working the way they were designed to work. People die, and you will surely die some day as well.

But with all of our knowledge of the real world in which you live, death still catches us up short. It is so shockingly final and so powerfully emotional that there's no way to steel yourself against its effects.

Death is such an unnatural assault on life that it never seems in place, and it never seems okay. Death is always out of place. Death is always an unwelcomed guest. You may never invite it, but it will enter your door; and when it does, it will leave you changed forever. Denial is a delusion. Avoidance doesn't work.

And so we are doing what the Bible encourages us to do with all of the harsh realities of life. We're looking them smack dab in the face. We're staring at them in the light, unafraid.

No, you're not unafraid because you have some kind of overinflated view of yourself, not because you have some kind of messianic complex. No, you're able to be unafraid because you have an accurate view of God and His grace.

And because we know that the great story of the Bible has a beginning and an end, we can look at something even as horrible as death with courage and hope. We can actually examine death and learn things. We can face death and not be afraid.

You see, we won't be able to avoid it. It will touch us in some way. Everybody's story includes moments of grief and suffering that they would've never planned and that they never would've wanted to go through, but they're going through, and they have to face.

And so it's right for us to continue to think, "What are the unique ways the Bible looks at this experience of grief? What are the unique ways the Bible examines this area? What are the unique perspectives of Scripture that guide us as we go through it?"

Music: "Homeless" by Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Emaweni webaba
Silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
We are homeless, we are homeless
The moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake

Six Biblical Perspectives on Death and Grief

Paul Tripp: In the last program, we began to look at six Biblical perspectives on death and grief that can function as rails to guide you as you go through this moment when powerful emotion hits you and clear thinking seems impossible.

And we looked at three perspectives: One, you cannot adequately prepare for death, and so you do not need to be embarrassed at the pain you feel. Two, death was not part of the original plan. Life was to give way to life, was to give way to life, on into eternity. Three, you are never alone in the darkness. Jesus comes to you as Immanuel. He doesn't just stay near you; He literally comes to reside inside of you, and so you're never all by yourself in any of the experiences of life in a fallen world.

Here's the fourth perspective. Evil meets good in the Gospel. Now maybe when you hear that, you're thinking, "Paul, I don't have a clue what you're talking about, and I have an even less of a clue of what it has to do with death."

Well, I understand that response, so I'd like you to follow my logic here. Is death a bad thing? Yes it is, but the Bible tells us that the brightest of good things can be found in the midst of evil's darkest moments.

Now think about this: the cross of Jesus Christ actually powerfully demonstrates this point. On that hill of death outside of the city, the best thing that could ever happen came out of the worst thing that ever happened. Now, I want to repeat that for you because I think it's important for you to get it - on that Hill of death outside of the city, the best thing that ever happened came out of the worst thing that ever happened.

Peter says in Acts 2:23 that, "Jesus was put to death at the hands of wicked men." What could be a more terrible, more wicked act; what could be worse than the killing of the Messiah? What could be worse than the illegal execution of the one perfect person who ever lived? What could be worse than the systematic torture of the one who came to free us from suffering and death?

Peter says that Christ's death was a bad thing done by bad people to a good person. But you've got to hear this. Peter actually says much more than that. He says that God delivered Jesus to death for his own "set purpose." This terrible moment was not out of control. This terrible moment was under God's careful control.

God's plan from the beginning was to use ultimate evil to accomplish ultimate good for humanity. And on that terrible cross of injustice, Jesus conquers sin and death, two things that we could never defeat on our own.

In the same way, God often brings the most lasting and wonderful things out of the darkest moments in our own lives. Sometimes death helps us clarify truths that we believe more than they've ever been clarified for us. Sometimes in the shadow of death, a loved one who's feuding with another loved one makes peace. Sometimes a funeral brings closure to things that may never have been resolved any other way.

God's plan is that the darkest of things would result in good in the lives of His children. He surrendered His Son to death so that you may have life, and He will not abandon you now.

Fifth perspective, there is more to life than this. Again, pay attention to the logic here. Every time someone dies, it reminds us that God's work in this broken world is not complete. Because of sin, death entered our world, and it's only when sin has been completely and finally defeated will death no longer be part of the equation.

Jesus died so that we would no longer die. He rose again so that death would be put to death. Every time someone dies, it reminds us that death still lives. Every time someone dies, we are called to cry out for the completion of what Jesus has begun. We know it's not complete yet because death still lives.

There will be a day when there will be no more dying. Parents will no longer mourn their children, and children will no longer mourn their parents.

Yes, death is a huge enemy, but it's an enemy that will be defeated. It's an enemy that will die. And as you weep in this moment of grief, remember the One who weeps with you is not content to leave things the way they are. He will continue to exert His power so that you will finally need to grieve no more.

But there's a sixth fact. You can now grieve in a new and different way. You see, God has chosen us to live in a world where death is a reality. So the fact of the matter is that we will grieve. Why? Because we know that this is not the way it was supposed to be.

In fact, this even makes our grief greater than that of the surrounding world. We know that this was not part of the original plan. We know what life could have been like, and we know this thing that was never meant to be part of the plan still does its destructive work every day. We know how wonderful life would've been if death hadn't entered life's door.

Yet at the same time, we should always mourn with grief that is mixed with joy because we know that we are part of a story that has an end. We don't have to hide behind theological platitudes and religious clichés. God approves of our tears; death is an awful thing, but God welcomes us to grieve with hope and joy as we look forward to the ultimate funeral of death.

Music: "Join All the Glorious Names" (Original) by Sovereign Grace Music

(Original Words by Isaac Watts/Music and Alternate Words by Bob Kauflin)
Join all the glorious names
Of wisdom, love, and power
That mortals ever knew
That angels ever bore
All are too poor to speak
Your vast and priceless worth
Too poor to set my Saviour forth
Jesus Your name is glorious
Our Prophet Priest and King
Jesus You're reigning over us
And forevermore
Your praises we will sing
Great Prophet of my God
My tongue would bless Your name
Through You the joyful news
Of our salvation came
The long awaited news
Of every sin forgiven
Of hell subdued and peace with heaven
Jesus Your name is glorious
Our Prophet Priest and King
Jesus You're reigning over us
And forevermore
Your praises, we will sing

What Do You Think About Death?

Paul Tripp: Well, what do you think about death? What do think when you think about grief? What does it all mean to you?

You know as much as you think you'll do well, it really is a mind-blowing experience. It really is deeply, deeply emotional in ways that you cannot predict. And so it's really helpful to have Biblical perspectives that provide a rail to guide you as you go through this experience. Let me give you these six Biblical perspectives.

First, there is a way in which you cannot prepare for death. It is the ultimate, unnatural interruption; and because of that, you don't need to be embarrassed at the powerful emotions that you feel.

Second, you need to know that death was not part of the original plan. That's why it is such an unnatural interruption. That's why it's always out of place. That's why it seems like it doesn't make any sense. Life was to give way to life, was to give way to life into eternity. Death was not part of the original plan.

Third, you are never alone in the darkness. It's impossible for you to be alone if you are one of God's children; because if you are one of God's children, God literally has come to make you His residence. Amazing as that may seem, it is actually true.

Four, evil meets good in the Gospel. What does that mean? It means that God is very good at bringing very good things out of very bad things. The cross of Jesus Christ is an example of that. It was a very bad thing that produced very good things in the end.

Five, there is more to life than this. Death always reminds me that the story is not complete; because when the story is complete, there will be no more death. Death is going to die.

And so when I face death, I should cry out, not only because I'm losing a person, but I should cry out because I long for the completion of what God has begun in Christ so that we can be in a place where there is no more death, and there is no more dying.

Sixth, you can grieve in a new and different way. This really goes two ways. There's a way in which, if you really understand the Biblical story, your grief will be deeper and greater because you will be looking at the death of that person, and you will realize it didn't have to be this way; this was not the way it was supposed to be.

On the other hand, you don't grieve hopelessly because you know that this physical death is not the end of all things. There's going to be a day when death dies, and God's children live with Him forever.

You cannot prepare for death. Death was not part of the original plan. You are never alone in the darkness. Evil meets good in the Gospel. There is more to life than this. You can grieve in new and different ways.

Are you living with hope and courage, or are you fearful and avoiding? God gives you perspectives that will protect and guide you when you face the unthinkable and you just don't know what to do.

(Music Interlude)

Paul Tripp: This moment will live in my life vividly forever. I stood over the intensive care bed of our daughter, looking at her terribly broken body. She had been crushed against the wall by the SUV of a drunken driver.

I wept. I couldn't help it that she was suffering so. It made no sense on one hand that she had to go through this, and we had to go through it with her. I had no idea what the next day would bring. I was filled with emotion. I was filled with grief. I was filled with fear. I was filled with concern. Yet at the very same time, I was very, very glad that I was not standing over her casket.

That night, as I walked by myself tearfully to the car, I wondered what I would be thinking, what I would be doing, if that morning she had, in fact, died.

It is a horrible thing to face. It is a remarkable interruption in everything in your life. But death is not a thing that exists outside of the grace of God. There is grace for even this kind of dark moment. There's help and resources for you even in this dark moment. God is with you in this darkness, and He has promised to always give you what you need for what you're experiencing right here, right now.

Kate Crowley: Paul Tripp and grace in the midst of despair from the compelling series, "When Grief Enters Your Door," on today's edition of Right Here, Right Now.

By the way, Paul discusses the power of using the right words in his book, War of Words. In it, he lines up how we can speak words of grace and make a real difference in a world that is full of words of hate and hurt. That's War of Words, available at our website, paultrippministires.org. That's all one word. Paul Tripp, spelled T-R-I-P-P, paultrippministries.org.

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Be sure and tune in tomorrow for more grace found in the Word of God. This is Kate Crowley, and for all of us at Paul Tripp Ministries, we want to remind you that, in Jesus Christ, there really is help, right here, right now.