Pre-Christian Judgementalism – Part 4

Adam and Eve’s Nakedness

The trouble is we often see righteousness as something that we work towards rather than something that we have now. We assume that we have righteousness now, but we believe it is something that we receive in instalments, rather than all at once. With this approach, we never become righteous enough for God. Then, with only a partial confidence towards God and our right-standing with Him, we then seek to cover our sinfulness with something that we do.

This is what Adam did when he fell from grace and came to the realisation that his righteousness was in God and not in his own ability. Adam and Eve gained the knowledge of what was good and what was evil. This led to them coming to the realisation that they were naked. They then sought to cover their nakedness with fig leaves.

⁶ When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it - she'd know everything! - she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

⁷ Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on" - saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

⁸ When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.

⁹ God called to the Man: "Where are you?"

¹⁰ He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid."

¹¹ God said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?"

Genesis 3:6-11 msg

Adam and Eve’s nakedness was not so much due to their lack of clothing - it was due to the fact that they had forfeited their true covering which was holiness and purity. Without this covering, people still seek to cover their sinfulness from the sight of God.

The wonderful thing about righteousness by faith is that a person no longer feels naked and unacceptable in the sight of God. This means that they no longer have to find something else to cover their sinfulness, because they no longer live according to that old nature. When a person lacks the assurance that they have right standing with God, they do what Adam and Eve did and try to cover their nakedness with fig leaves by trying to cover their inadequacies with their own works.

The Galatian church also had the same idea when they sought to substantiate their right-standing with God through reverting back to following the law. This is an approach that we still see in the church today. Paul’s letter to the Galatians stands as a warning to believers today so that they do not fall into the same trap.

If believers have real confidence towards God through the knowledge and assurance of righteousness in His sight, they would not need to revert back to following a set of rules as a means of pleasing God and meriting His favour. This means that if God does not prompt a believer to commit to a certain obligation in the church by His love, then they will not feel pressured into doing something that they are not sure about.

It is difficult when the church makes an appeal for volunteers to do some charitable act. Such appeals play on the conscience and are often hard to resist without feeling guilty. Right standing with God gives a believer the power to say “no” to good things. We should say “yes” to God and the plans He has for us.