Gen 3: 7–13
7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8) And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9) Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
10) So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
11) And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
12) Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
13) And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
PP 57
After his transgression Adam at first imagined himself entering upon a higher state of existence. But soon the thought of his sin filled him with terror. The air, which had hitherto been of a mild and uniform temperature, seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future, a nakedness of soul. The robe of light which had enshrouded them, now disappeared…
COL 310, 311
The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they were placed by God in holy Eden. They lived in perfect conformity to the will of God. All the strength of their affections was given to their heavenly Father. A beautiful soft light, the light of God, enshrouded the holy pair. This robe of light was a symbol of their spiritual garments of heavenly innocence. Had they remained true to God it would ever have continued to enshroud them. But when sin entered, they severed their connection with God, and the light that had encircled them departed.
COL 311
This is what the transgressors of God’s law have done ever since the day of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. They have sewed together fig leaves to cover the nakedness caused by transgression. They have worn the garments of their own devising, by works of their own they have tried to cover their sins, and make themselves acceptable with God.
But this they can never do. Nothing can man devise to supply the place of his lost robe of innocence.
Isa 64:6
But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
SC 62
It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God’s law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin our natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous. Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God.
Job 14:4
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!
GCB March 5, 1895
Our hearts are by nature evil, and how, then, can they bring forth that which is good? “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.” Job 14:4. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin.
RH July 19, 1892
We cannot provide a robe of righteousness for ourselves, for the prophet says, “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” There is nothing in us from which we can clothe the soul so that its nakedness shall not appear.
1SM 310
Those who are adopted into the family of God are transformed by His Spirit. Self-indulgence and supreme love for self are changed for self-denial and supreme love for God. No man inherits holiness as a birthright, nor can he, by any methods that he can devise, become loyal to God. “Without me,” Christ says, “ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Human righteousness is as “filthy rags.” But with God all things are possible. In the strength of the Redeemer, weak, erring man can become more than conqueror over the evil that besets him.
Rev 3:15–17
18) “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16) So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.
17) Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’–and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked
RH Aug 7, 1894
What is it that constitutes the wretchedness, the nakedness of those who feel rich and increased with goods? —It is the want [lack] of the righteousness of Christ. In their own righteousness they are represented as clothed with filthy rags, and yet in this condition they flatter themselves that they are clothed upon with Christ’s righteousness. Could deception be greater?
Rev 3:18
“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”
Phil 3: 6
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness, which is in the law, blameless.
1Tim 1:15
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Rom 2:4
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?