Adam’s Calamity
Before heading to the New Testament for a clearer picture of the inherent features of man’s fallen nature, Genesis 3:8-10 shows us stark realities of the unregenerate man’s relationship to God.
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife his themselves from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, “Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Before the Fall, Adam used to walk and commune with God without any inhibition. He enjoyed a perfect righteousness, both in standing and in substance. After the Fall, he fears God and knows that he cannot approach Him. His consciousness of shame is overbearing.
Significantly, Adam also deals with God in a completely different manner than before. When he hears God’s voice, he hides behind a tree. That act is utterly irrational since God does not have a human body and is omniscient. But this shows us that Adam’s communication with God now is limited to the prism of his corrupted physical body and he has completely lost his understanding of just who God is.