亚当和夏娃是有罪的，他们也知道自己犯罪，因此他们设法帮助自己，用无花果树的叶子作裙子，遮盖自己的赤身露体。这表征人用自己的工作遮盖自己的有罪。然而，用无花果树叶子作的裙子，几天之后叶子就会枯干、破裂，至终会掉落，他们就又完全赤身露体了。亚当和夏娃又躲避神的面，等待死亡的宣判。
然而神来了，不但没有宣判他们的死亡，反而传福音给他们，告诉他们一个奇妙的应许：女人的后裔要伤蛇的头。亚当听见福音以后，立刻给他的妻子起名叫“夏娃”，意思是“活”。他相信他和夏娃都活了，不要死了。亚当既然信了福音，神就用动物（羊羔）的皮子，为亚当和夏娃作衣服，给他们穿上（创三21）。这衣服就将他们完全遮盖了。
神将羊羔的皮子当作衣服，给亚当和夏娃穿上。这意思是神称义了他们。得称义的意思就是被神的义所遮盖，也就是被基督自己所遮盖，而不是被任何人造的东西所遮盖。为要用羊皮作衣服，神必须先宰杀羊羔作为牺牲。羊羔被杀，血流出来，正预表基督是神的羔羊，在十字架上死了，祂的血为我们流出，使我们的罪得赦免。亚当和夏娃在衣服底下，表征他们在基督里。
基督在十字架上为公义的神所击杀，流了祂的宝血，神才能用基督来遮盖我们，作我们的义。今天神已经把我们放在基督里（林前一30），并且我们已经穿上了基督（加三27），如同亚当和夏娃穿上皮子作的衣服。因此，我们不仅罪能蒙神赦免，还能够穿上基督来彰显基督。
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The Anticipated Redemption – Gen. 3:20-21
Adam and Eve were sinful, and they knew they had sinned. So they tried to help themselves by sewing fig leaves together as loincloths to cover their nakedness. This signifies man’s attempt to cover his sin with his own works. However, fig leaves quickly wither, dry out, tear and eventually fall off — leaving them naked once again. Adam and Eve then hid from the face of God, awaiting the pronouncement of death.
Yet God came — not to pronounce death — but to preach the gospel to them, giving them a marvelous promise: the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head. Upon hearing the gospel, Adam immediately gave his wife the name “Eve,” which means “life.” He believed that he and Eve would live and not die. Since Adam believed the gospel, God made garments of skin (from a lamb) and clothed Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21). These garments fully covered them.
God used the skin of a lamb to make garments and clothed Adam and Eve. This means that God justified them. To be justified means to be covered by God’s righteousness — that is, to be covered by Christ Himself, not by anything made by man. In order to make garments of skin, God first had to kill the lamb as a sacrifice. The lamb was slain, and its blood was shed — this typifies Christ as the Lamb of God who died on the cross. His blood was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. Adam and Eve, covered under these garments, signify that they were in Christ.
Christ was smitten on the cross by the righteous God. He shed His precious blood, enabling God to use Christ to cover us and become our righteousness. Today, God has placed us in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30), and we have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27), just as Adam and Eve put on garments of skin. Therefore, not only are our sins forgiven by God — we are also clothed with Christ to express Christ.