Crescimento Espiritual - Abraham Kuyper
Autor: Wagner Barros de Jesus | Publicado: 2015-08-05T13:18:00-07:00

"... Prossigamos&#160; at&#233;&#160; a&#160; perfei&#231;&#227;o,&#160; n&#227;o&#160; lan&#231;ando&#160; de&#160; novo&#160; o fundamento..."&#160; -&#160; (Hebreus&#160; 6:1)
Para&#160; sistematizar&#160; a&#160; obra&#160; do&#160; Esp&#237;rito&#160; Santo&#160; nos&#160; indiv&#237;duos,&#160; n&#243;s devemos&#160; primeiro&#160; considerar&#160; a&#160; sua&#160; condi&#231;&#227;o&#160; espiritual&#160; antes&#160; da convers&#227;o. A&#160; incompreens&#227;o&#160; deste&#160; ponto&#160; leva&#160; ao&#160; erro&#160; e&#160; &#224;&#160; confus&#227;o.&#160; Faz com&#160; que&#160; as&#160; v&#225;rias&#160; opera&#231;&#245;es&#160; do&#160; Esp&#237;rito Santo&#160; sejam&#160; confundidas, que&#160; os&#160; mesmos&#160; termos&#160; sejam&#160; usados&#160; para&#160; designar&#160; coisas&#160; diferentes. Confunde&#160; o&#160; pr&#243;prio&#160; pensamento&#160; de&#160; algu&#233;m,&#160; e&#160; leva&#160; outros&#160; a&#160; dire&#231;&#245;es erradas.&#160; E&#160; isto&#160; aparece&#160; muito&#160; seriamente&#160; em&#160; ministros&#160; que&#160; discutem&#160; o assunto&#160; em&#160; termos&#160; gerais,&#160; que&#160; com&#160; naturalidade&#160; evitam&#160; a&#160; certeza,&#160; e consequentemente&#160; reiteram&#160; as&#160; mesmas&#160; banalidades,&#160; os&#160; mesmos lugares&#160; comuns. Prega&#231;&#227;o&#160; tal&#160; causa&#160; pouca&#160; ou&#160; nenhuma&#160; impress&#227;o;&#160; ela&#160; &#233; mon&#243;tona&#160; e&#160; cansativa;&#160; acostuma&#160; a&#160; orelha&#160; a&#160; repeti&#231;&#245;es;&#160; e&#160; falta-lhe est&#237;mulo&#160; para&#160; o&#160; ouvido&#160; interno.&#160; E&#160; a&#160; mente,&#160; a&#160; qual&#160; n&#227;o&#160; pode permanecer&#160; inativa&#160; sem&#160; impunidade,&#160; procura&#160; al&#237;vio&#160; por&#160; sua&#160; pr&#243;pria conta,&#160; muitas&#160; vezes&#160; na&#160; descren&#231;a,&#160; longe&#160; da&#160; obra&#160; do&#160; Esp&#237;rito&#160; Santo.&#160; As palavras&#160; "cora&#231;&#227;o",&#160; "mente",&#160; "alma",&#160; "consci&#234;ncia",&#160; "homem interior"&#160; s&#227;o&#160; utilizadas&#160; indiscriminadamente. 
H&#225;&#160; chamados, apelos freq&#252;entes&#160; para&#160; a&#160; convers&#227;o,&#160; a&#160; regenera&#231;&#227;o,&#160; a&#160; renova&#231;&#227;o&#160; de&#160; vida,&#160; a justifica&#231;&#227;o,&#160; a&#160; santifica&#231;&#227;o&#160; e&#160; a&#160; reden&#231;&#227;o;&#160; enquanto&#160; que&#160; os&#160; ouvidos&#160; n&#227;o foram&#160; acostumados&#160; a&#160; compreender,&#160; a&#160; entender&#160; em&#160; cada&#160; uma&#160; destas palavras&#160; algo&#160; especial&#160; e&#160; uma&#160; revela&#231;&#227;o&#160; peculiar&#160; da&#160; obra&#160; do&#160; Esp&#237;rito Santo.&#160; E&#160; ao&#160; final, esta&#160; prega&#231;&#227;o ca&#243;tica&#160; torna&#160; imposs&#237;vel&#160; a&#160; discuss&#227;o inteligente&#160; quanto&#160; &#224;s&#160; coisas&#160; divinas,&#160; uma&#160; vez&#160; que&#160; uma&#160; pessoa iniciada e&#160; mais&#160; uniformemente&#160; instru&#237;da&#160; n&#227;o&#160; poder&#225;&#160; ser compreendida. N&#243;s&#160; protestamos&#160; solenemente,&#160; especialmente&#160; contra&#160; a apar&#234;ncia pia que encobre o vazio e a falta&#160; de significado desta prega&#231;&#227;o&#160; quando&#160; diz: "O&#160; meu&#160; Evangelho&#160; simples&#160; n&#227;o&#160; tem&#160; lugar&#160; para estas&#160; distin&#231;&#245;es&#160; triviais;&#160; elas&#160; s&#227;o&#160; caracter&#237;sticas&#160; da&#160; erudi&#231;&#227;o&#160; seca&#160; com a&#160; qual&#160; as&#160; mentes&#160; esquivas&#160; assustam&#160; os&#160; queridos&#160; filhos&#160; de&#160; Deus,&#160; e&#160; os colocam sob&#160; a&#160; escravid&#227;o&#160; das&#160; letras.&#160; N&#227;o,&#160; o&#160; Evangelho&#160; do&#160; meu Senhor&#160; deve&#160; permanecer&#160; para&#160; mim&#160; uma&#160; fonte&#160; de&#160; vida&#160; e&#160; esp&#237;rito; portanto&#160; poupe&#160; me&#160; dessas&#160; sutilezas". E&#160; sem d&#250;vida&#160; de&#160; que&#160; h&#225;&#160; alguma&#160; verdade&#160; nisso.&#160; Atrav&#233;s&#160; de&#160; uma an&#225;lise&#160; seca&#160; da&#160; verdade&#160; que&#160; refresca&#160; a&#160; alma,&#160; mentes&#160; abstratas&#160; muitas vezes&#160; roubam&#160; das&#160; almas&#160; mais&#160; simples&#160; muito&#160; conforto&#160; e&#160; alegria.&#160; Eles discutem&#160; as&#160; coisas&#160; espirituais&#160; nos&#160; termos&#160; h&#237;bridos&#160; de&#160; Latim Anglicanizado,&#160; como&#160; se&#160; as&#160; almas&#160; n&#227;o&#160; pudessem&#160; ter&#160; parte&#160; com&#160; Cristo, a&#160; menos&#160; que&#160; sejam&#160; experts&#160; no&#160; uso&#160; desse&#160; palavreado&#160; falsificado.&#160;
Tal intimida&#231;&#227;o&#160; dos&#160; fracos&#160; denota&#160; orgulho&#160; e&#160; auto&#160; exalta&#231;&#227;o.&#160; E&#160; um orgulho&#160; muito&#160; est&#250;pido&#160; &#233;&#160; este,&#160; pois&#160; o&#160; conhecimento&#160; apregoado&#160; &#233; prontamente&#160; adquirido&#160; por&#160; um&#160; mero&#160; esfor&#231;o&#160; da&#160; mem&#243;ria.&#160; Tal externaliza&#231;&#227;o&#160; da&#160; f&#233;&#160; Crist&#227;&#160; &#233;&#160; ofensiva.&#160; Ela&#160; troca&#160; a&#160; religiosidade genu&#237;na&#160; por&#160; uma&#160; l&#237;ngua&#160; escorregadia&#160; e&#160; maliciosa,&#160; e&#160; a&#160; justifica&#231;&#227;o&#160; da f&#233;&#160; pela&#160; justifica&#231;&#227;o&#160; mental.&#160; Assim&#160; a&#160; religiosidade&#160; do&#160; cora&#231;&#227;o transfere-se&#160; para&#160; a&#160; cabe&#231;a,&#160; e&#160; ao&#160; inv&#233;s&#160; do&#160; Senhor&#160; Jesus&#160; Cristo,&#160; &#233; Arist&#243;teles,&#160; o&#160; professor&#160; mestre&#160; da&#160; dial&#233;tica,&#160; que&#160; se&#160; torna&#160; o&#160; salvador das&#160; almas. Defender&#160; tal&#160; caricatura&#160; est&#225;&#160; longe&#160; do&#160; nosso&#160; prop&#243;sito.&#160; N&#243;s cremos&#160;que&#160;a&#160;nossa&#160;salva&#231;&#227;o&#160;depende somente da obra de&#160;Deus em n&#243;s,&#160;e&#160;n&#227;o somente&#160;do&#160;nosso&#160; testemunho; (Monergismo)&#160; e&#160; a&#160; crian&#231;a&#160; pequena,&#160; ainda com&#160; seus&#160; l&#225;bios&#160; inseguros,&#160;mas&#160;em&#160; quem o&#160;Esp&#237;rito&#160;Santo&#160;tenha operado,&#160;preceder&#225; esses&#160;v&#227;os escribas no&#160;Reino do C&#233;u.&#160;Que ningu&#233;m&#160;se atreva&#160;a&#160;impor&#160;o&#160;fardo&#160;dos&#160;seus&#160; pensamentos&#160;pr&#243;prios sobre os seus&#160;semelhantes.
O&#160; fardo&#160; de&#160; Cristo,&#160; somente,&#160; &#233;&#160; que&#160; se adequa&#160; as&#160; almas&#160; dos&#160; homens. E&#160; todavia&#160; o&#160; Evangelho&#160; n&#227;o&#160; perdoa&#160; a&#160; falta&#160; de&#160; profundidade,&#160; nem tampouco&#160; aprova&#160; a&#160; mera&#160; tagarelice. &#201;&#160; claro&#160; que&#160; existe&#160; uma&#160; diferen&#231;a.&#160; N&#227;o&#160; exigimos&#160; que&#160; nossas crian&#231;as&#160; conhe&#231;am&#160; os&#160; nomes&#160; de&#160; todos&#160; os&#160; nervos&#160; e&#160; m&#250;sculos&#160; do&#160; corpo humano,&#160; das&#160; doen&#231;as&#160; &#224;s&#160; quais&#160; ele&#160; est&#225;&#160; sujeito,&#160; e&#160; de&#160; todos&#160; os medicamentos&#160; que&#160; completam&#160; a&#160; farmacop&#233;ia.&#160; Faze-lo&#160; seria&#160; uma sobrecarga&#160; para&#160; os&#160; pequeninos,&#160; que&#160; s&#227;o&#160; os&#160; mais&#160; felizes&#160; enquanto inconscientes&#160; do&#160; complexo&#160; organismo&#160; que&#160; carregam&#160; consigo.&#160; Mas,&#160;o m&#233;dico&#160; que&#160; n&#227;o&#160; esteja&#160; bem&#160; seguro&#160; da&#160; localiza&#231;&#227;o&#160; desses&#160; &#243;rg&#227;os vitais;&#160; que,&#160; sem&#160; preocupar-se&#160; com&#160; detalhes&#160; se&#160; satisfa&#231;a&#160; com&#160; as generalidades&#160; da&#160; sua&#160; profiss&#227;o;&#160; que,&#160; incapaz&#160; de&#160; diagnosticar&#160; o&#160; caso corretamente,&#160; falhe&#160; ao&#160; administrar&#160; a&#160; medica&#231;&#227;o&#160; apropriada,&#160; de imediato&#160; &#233;&#160; demitido,&#160; e&#160; um&#160; outro&#160; profissional,&#160; dotado&#160; de&#160; melhor discernimento&#160; e&#160; melhor&#160; preparado&#160; &#233;&#160; chamado&#160; para&#160; substitu&#237;-lo. Pessoas&#160; bem&#160; informadas&#160; n&#227;o&#160; deveriam&#160; ser&#160; ignorantes&#160; quanto&#160; a&#160; esses &#243;rg&#227;os&#160; vitais&#160; do&#160; corpo&#160; humano,&#160; bem&#160; como&#160; das&#160; suas&#160; principais fun&#231;&#245;es;&#160; m&#227;es&#160; e&#160; enfermeiras&#160; deveriam&#160; ser&#160; ainda&#160; melhor&#160; informadas. O&#160; mesmo&#160; aplica-se&#160; &#224;&#160; vida&#160; da&#160; Igreja.&#160; Aqueles&#160; menos&#160; dotados entre&#160; os&#160; irm&#227;os&#160; n&#227;o&#160; podem&#160; compreender&#160; totalmente&#160; as&#160; distin&#231;&#245;es&#160; da vida&#160; espiritual;&#160; s&#227;o&#160; incapazes&#160; de&#160; suportar&#160; carne,&#160; devem&#160; ser alimentados&#160; somente&#160; com&#160; leite.&#160; Nem&#160; tampouco&#160; devem&#160; as&#160; crian&#231;as mais&#160; jovens&#160; serem&#160; fatigadas&#160; e&#160; entorpecidas&#160; com&#160; frases&#160; muito&#160; al&#233;m&#160; da sua&#160; compreens&#227;o.&#160; Tanto&#160; aqueles&#160; como&#160; estas&#160; devem&#160; ser&#160; ensinados&#160; de conformidade&#160; com&#160; "o&#160; teor&#160; da&#160; sua&#160; maneira".&#160; Uma&#160; crian&#231;a conversando&#160; sobre&#160; assuntos&#160; de&#160; religi&#227;o&#160; em&#160; termos&#160; discriminat&#243;rios afeta&#160; desagradavelmente&#160; o&#160; sentimento&#160; espiritual.&#160; Mas n&#227;o &#233;&#160;assim como&#160;m&#233;dico&#160;espiritual,&#160; i.e.,&#160; O ministro da Palavra.&#160; Se um veterin&#225;rio &#233; demitido&#160;por&#160;n&#227;o&#160;ser capacitado&#160;o&#160;suficiente,&#160;quanto&#160;mais&#160;aqueles que,&#160; pretendendo&#160;tratar&#160;e&#160;curar almas,&#160; denotam&#160;a sua pr&#243;pria ignor&#226;ncia&#160;acerca&#160;das&#160;condi&#231;&#245;es&#160;e atividades&#160;da&#160;vida&#160;espiritual.
Por esta&#160; raz&#227;o&#160; &#233;&#160; que&#160; insistimos&#160; que&#160; cada&#160; ministro&#160; da&#160; Palavra&#160; seja&#160; um especialista&#160; nesta&#160; anatomia&#160; e&#160; fisiologia&#160; espirituais;&#160; familiar&#160; com&#160; as v&#225;rias&#160; formas&#160; de&#160; Enfermidade Espiritual,&#160; e&#160; sempre&#160; capacitado&#160; com&#160; a plenitude&#160; do&#160; saber&#160; que&#160; vem&#160; de&#160; Cristo,&#160; para&#160; selecionar&#160; o&#160; medicamento espiritual exigido. E&#160; reclamamos&#160; o&#160; mesmo&#160; conhecimento,&#160; se&#160; n&#227;o&#160; exatamente&#160; no&#160; mesmo grau,&#160; de&#160; cada&#160; homem&#160; e&#160; mulher&#160; inteligentes.&#160; O&#160; m&#233;dico&#160; ou&#160; o&#160; advogado que&#160; se&#160; ri&#160; da&#160; nossa&#160; ignor&#226;ncia&#160; quanto&#160; aos&#160; princ&#237;pios&#160; da&#160; sua&#160; profiss&#227;o deve&#160; ser&#160; igualmente&#160; envergonhado&#160; quando&#160; demonstrar&#160; a&#160; sua&#160; pr&#243;pria&#160; e lament&#225;vel&#160; ignor&#226;ncia&#160; quando&#160; &#224;&#160; condi&#231;&#227;o&#160; da&#160; sua&#160; alma.&#160; Na&#160; vida espiritual&#160; cada&#160; talento&#160; deveria&#160; ser&#160; de&#160; interesse.&#160; Cada&#160; homem,&#160; cada indiv&#237;duo&#160; deveria&#160; ser&#160; simetricamente&#160; desenvolvido.&#160; De&#160; acordo&#160; com&#160; o seu&#160; campo&#160; de&#160; vis&#227;o,&#160; for&#231;a&#160; de&#160; poderes,&#160;e perspic&#225;cia,&#160;ele&#160; deveria&#160;ser capaz&#160;de distinguir&#160;as&#160;coisas&#160;espirituais&#160; e&#160; as necessidades&#160; da&#160; sua pr&#243;pria alma. E&#160;que este conhecimento seja&#160; amplamente&#160; encontrado somente&#160;entre o&#160;nosso povo simples,&#160;e&#160;temente a&#160;Deus;&#160; e&#160; n&#227;o&#160; entre&#160; as classes&#160; mais&#160; altas,&#160; &#233;&#160; um&#160; s&#233;rio&#160; e&#160; deplor&#225;vel&#160; sinal&#160; dos&#160; tempos. 
"O&#160; conhecimento&#160; que&#160; &#233;&#160; poder&#160; na&#160; esfera&#160; espiritual,&#160; e&#160; capaz de curar, n&#227;o adv&#233;m em termos estranhos,&#160;n&#227;o se cansa&#160;nos&#160;v&#225;rios criticismos da B&#237;blia, n&#227;o &#233;&#160;f&#227; somente de&#160;racioc&#237;nios&#160;filos&#243;ficos,&#160; n&#227;o deixa&#160; as&#160; almas&#160; padecerem&#160; de&#160; fome&#160; dando-lhes&#160; pedras&#160; ao&#160; inv&#233;s&#160; de p&#227;o;&#160; mas&#160; busca&#160; sistematicamente&#160; a&#160; Palavra&#160; e&#160; a&#160; obra&#160; de&#160; Deus&#160; nas almas&#160; dos&#160; homens,&#160; e&#160; prova&#160; que&#160; um&#160; homem&#160; de&#160; fato&#160; estudou&#160; as&#160; coisas as&#160; quais&#160; ele&#160; deve&#160; ministrar&#160; &#224;&#160; Igreja."
 Aqueles&#160;nossos l&#237;deres&#160;espirituais,&#160;portanto, que&#160;na universidade e nas&#160;classes&#160;do&#160;semin&#225;rio substitu&#237;ram esse conhecimento&#160;espiritual por v&#225;rias formas de criticismo e apolog&#233;tica,&#160;t&#234;m&#160;muito&#160;pelo&#160;que&#160;responder.&#160;Pois nos&#160;&#250;ltimos trinta anos esse conhecimento&#160;tem&#160;sido negligenciado&#160;em ambas&#160;aquelas institui&#231;&#245;es.&#160;E&#160;assim perdeu-se&#160;o&#160;conhecimento,&#160;a&#160;prega&#231;&#227;o&#160;tornou-se mon&#243;tona,&#160;e&#160;uma&#160;grande&#160;parte da&#160; Igreja&#160;pereceu.&#160; 
Ainda havia olho e ouvido&#160;para a&#160;obra objetiva do&#160;Filho, mas a obra&#160;do&#160;Esp&#237;rito&#160;Santo &#233; ignorada&#160;e negligenciada.&#160; Consequentemente&#160;a vida&#160; espiritual afundou a&#160;tal ponto que, enquanto dificilmente uma&#160;ter&#231;a parte&#160;da plenitude da&#160;gra&#231;a&#160;a qual est&#225;&#160;em&#160;Cristo&#160;Jesus&#160; est&#225;&#160;sendo&#160;conhecida&#160;e honrada, homens&#160;ousam insistir que&#160;pregam o&#160;Cristo crucificado. Por isso a discuss&#227;o da obra do Esp&#237;rito&#160;Santo nos&#160; indiv&#237;duos demanda&#160;que,&#160;enquanto correndo o risco&#160; de&#160; ser&#160; chamado&#160; "guias eruditos", n&#243;s&#160; deixamos&#160; as&#160; trilhas&#160; das&#160; generalidades&#160; e superficialidades&#160; e procedemos&#160; a&#160; uma&#160; an&#225;lise&#160; cuidadosa.&#160; As opera&#231;&#245;es&#160; do&#160; Esp&#237;rito&#160; Santo&#160; sobre&#160; as&#160; v&#225;rias&#160; partes&#160; do&#160; nosso&#160; ser&#160; nas suas&#160; v&#225;rias&#160; condi&#231;&#245;es&#160; devem&#160; ser&#160; distinguidas&#160; e&#160; tratadas separadamente;&#160; n&#227;o&#160; somente&#160; nos&#160; eleitos,&#160; mas&#160; tamb&#233;m&#160; nos&#160; n&#227;o eleitos,&#160; pois&#160; elas&#160; n&#227;o&#160; s&#227;o&#160; as&#160; mesmas.&#160; &#201;&#160; verdade&#160; que&#160; a&#160; B&#237;blia&#160; ensina que&#160; Deus&#160; faz&#160; com&#160; que&#160; o&#160; Seu&#160; sol&#160; brilho&#160; sobre&#160; o&#160; bom&#160; e&#160; os&#160; mau,&#160; e&#160; que&#160; a Sua&#160; chuva&#160; des&#231;a&#160; sobre&#160; o&#160; justo&#160; e&#160; o&#160; injusto,&#160; de&#160; modo&#160; que&#160; no&#160; reino&#160; da natureza&#160; toda&#160; boa&#160; d&#225;diva&#160; vinda&#160; do&#160; Pai&#160; das&#160; luzes&#160; &#233;&#160; comum&#160; a&#160; todos; mas&#160; no&#160; reino&#160; da&#160; gra&#231;a&#160; o&#160; mesmo&#160; n&#227;o&#160; acontece.&#160; O&#160; Sol&#160; da&#160; justi&#231;a&#160; muitas vezes&#160; brilha&#160; sobre&#160; um,&#160; deixando&#160; outro&#160; em&#160; trevas;&#160; e&#160; as&#160; gotas&#160; da&#160; gra&#231;a ao&#160; cair,&#160; muitas&#160; vezes&#160; molham&#160; uma&#160; alma,&#160; enquanto&#160; que&#160; outras permanecem&#160; completamente&#160; desprovidas&#160; delas. Por&#160; conseguinte,&#160; embora&#160; a&#160; obra&#160; do&#160; Esp&#237;rito&#160; nos&#160; eleitos&#160; seja&#160; de import&#226;ncia&#160; prim&#225;ria,&#160; esta&#160; todavia&#160; n&#227;o&#160; exaure&#160; a&#160; Sua&#160; obra&#160; nos indiv&#237;duos.&#160; Para&#160; muitos&#160; em&#160; Israel,&#160; Cristo&#160; foi&#160; tamb&#233;m&#160; designado&#160; para uma&#160; queda;&#160; e&#160; at&#233;&#160; isto&#160; &#233;&#160; trabalhado&#160; pelo&#160; testemunho&#160; do&#160; Esp&#237;rito&#160; Santo. N&#227;o&#160;somente o&#160;sabor&#160; a&#160;vida,&#160;mas&#160;o gosto da morte&#160;tamb&#233;m atinge a alma&#160;pelo&#160;Seu interm&#233;dio;&#160;como&#160;o ap&#243;stolo&#160;declara com rela&#231;&#227;o &#224;queles que,&#160;havendo&#160;recebido&#160;o&#160;dom do Esp&#237;rito Santo,&#160;mesmo assim&#160;ca&#237;ram.&#160; 
A&#160; Sua&#160; atividade&#160;neles, e&#160;na sua&#160;condi&#231;&#227;o&#160;quando&#160;Ele inicia&#160; as&#160; suas&#160; opera&#231;&#245;es&#160; salvadoras&#160;ou endurecedoras,&#160;deve ser cuidadosamente&#160; notada. E &#233;&#160;claro,&#160;que&#160;este&#160;n&#227;o &#233;&#160;o lugar&#160;para&#160;discutir exaustivamente a condi&#231;&#227;o dos&#160;ca&#237;dos.&#160;Isto&#160;requereria uma investiga&#231;&#227;o&#160;especial. Muitas&#160;coisas&#160;que talvez em&#160;outros&#160;lugares sejam&#160;explicadas&#160;em detalhe, aqui recebem&#160;somente&#160;uma nota&#160;passageira.&#160;Mas&#160;servir&#225;&#160;ao nosso&#160;prop&#243;sito&#160;se&#160;tivermos&#160;sucesso em&#160;proporcionar&#160;ao&#160;leitor uma vis&#227;o&#160;t&#227;o&#160;clara&#160;da&#160;condi&#231;&#227;o&#160;do&#160;pecador,&#160;que&#160;ele&#160;possa&#160;compreendernos quando discutirmos a obra&#160;do&#160;Esp&#237;rito&#160;Santo no&#160; pecador. Por&#160; "pecador",&#160; entendemos&#160; o&#160; homem&#160; como&#160; ele&#160; &#233;,&#160; como&#160; ele vive,&#160; como&#160; ele&#160; se&#160; move&#160; naturalmente,&#160; i.e.&#160; sem&#160; a&#160; gra&#231;a.&#160; E&#160; em&#160; tal estado,&#160; ele&#160; encontra-se&#160; morto&#160; em&#160; delitos&#160; e&#160; em&#160; pecados;&#160; alienado&#160; da vida&#160; de&#160; Deus;&#160; completamente&#160; depravado&#160; e&#160; sem&#160; for&#231;as;&#160; um&#160; pecador,&#160; e portanto&#160; culpado&#160; e&#160; condenado.&#160; E&#160; n&#227;o&#160; somente&#160; morto,&#160; mas&#160; prostrado no&#160; meio&#160; da&#160; morte,&#160; cada&#160; vez&#160; afundando&#160; mais&#160; na&#160; morte,&#160; a&#160; qual&#160; se&#160; n&#227;o for&#160; detida&#160; no&#160; seu&#160; curso,&#160; abrir-se-&#225;&#160; sob&#160; o&#160; pecador&#160; cada&#160; vez&#160; mais,&#160; at&#233; transformar-se&#160; em&#160; morte&#160; eterna.
Este&#160; &#233;&#160; o&#160; pensamento&#160; fundamental,&#160; a&#160; id&#233;ia&#160; m&#227;e,&#160; a&#160; concep&#231;&#227;o principal&#160; deste&#160; estado.&#160; "Portanto,&#160; assim&#160; como&#160; por&#160; um&#160; s&#243;&#160; homem entrou&#160; o&#160; pecado&#160; no&#160; mundo,&#160; e&#160; pelo&#160; pecado&#160; a&#160; morte,&#160; assim&#160; tamb&#233;m&#160; a morte&#160; passou&#160; a&#160; todos&#160; os&#160; homens..."[Romanos&#160; 5:12].&#160; E&#160; "Porque&#160; o sal&#225;rio&#160; do&#160; pecado&#160; &#233;&#160; a&#160; morte..."[Romanos&#160; 6:23].&#160; "...e&#160; o&#160; pecado,&#160; sendo consumado,&#160; gera&#160; a&#160; morte"[Tiago&#160; 1:15].&#160; De&#160; modo&#160; a&#160; passar&#160; para&#160; um outro&#160; estado,&#160; a&#160; pessoa&#160; tem&#160; primeiro&#160; de&#160; passar&#160; da&#160; morte&#160; para&#160; a&#160; vida. Mas&#160; esta&#160; id&#233;ia&#160; geral&#160; de&#160; morte&#160; deve&#160; ser&#160; analisada&#160; nas&#160; suas&#160; v&#225;rias rela&#231;&#245;es;&#160; e&#160; deve&#160; ser&#160; determinado,&#160; para&#160; este&#160; fim,&#160; o&#160; que&#160; o&#160; homem&#160; era antes, e no que ele se tornou depois dessa morte espiritual.
Monergismo X Sinergismo. 
Fonte: Abraham Kuyper. Obra do Esp&#237;rito Santo, D.D., LL.D. 
Professor de Telogia Sistem&#225;tica na Universidade de Amsterdam 
Traduzido do Holand&#234;s para o Ingl&#234;s com Notas Explanat&#243;rias pelo Rev. Henri de Vries.