The Forbidden Fruit

God allowed Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of some trees, but not the other.

From this, we know there were TWO KINDS of "Fruits;" one was Good and the other Bad.

But before God created humans, He created the plants and called them good.

Genesis 1:11–12

“Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.”

• So how could some of them be “bad?”

The “fruit” that made Adam and Eve fall was NOT of the produce variety. It was not an apple, not a banana, or grapes.

Symbolically speaking "the fruit" is the result of an action that takes place.

Matthew 7:20 "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."

• Good actions produce Good Fruit.

• Bad actions produce Bad Fruit.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command because they listened to the Liar - the Devil. He persuaded Eve to rely on her "human wisdom" which is sinful nature to become wise, instead of trusting God. Adam followed her actions. Unfortunately, they didn't become wise. If that were true, the Devil wouldn't be a liar but would prove to be telling the truth. However, that's not who he is.

• John 8:44 "For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."

In other words, they got fooled. As a result, they became sinners. Their actions produced disobedience. What "seemed" like a good idea at first, aka "delicious looking fruit," turned out to be a lie because the Devil is a master of Illusion.

Galatians 5:16-26

"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are NOT under obligation to the law of Moses.

• BAD FRUIT:

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

• GOOD FRUIT:

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in EVERY PART of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another."

SIN = DEATH

Genesis 3:3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, YOU WILL DIE.’”

• Ezekiel 18:4 "For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: THE PERSON WHO SINS IS THE ONE WHO WILL DIE."

Galatians 6:7-10

"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will HARVEST DECAY AND DEATH FROM THAT SINFUL NATURE. But those who live to please the Spirit will HARVEST EVERLASTING LIFE FROM THE SPIRIT. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith."

• Genesis 3:22 "Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from THE TREE OF LIFE, and eat it? Then THEY WILL LIVE FOREVER!”

If Our Actions Produce 'Fruits,' It Makes Us 'Trees.'

The Tree of Life = Unity with the Holy Spirit

The Tree of Knowledge = Separation from the Holy Spirit

Mark 8:22-26

"When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”

The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I SEE PEOPLE, but I can’t see them very clearly. THEY LOOK LIKE TREES WALKING AROUND."

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.”

Matthew 7:15-20

The Tree and Its Fruit

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire."

How to produce the Good Fruit?

Become a "good tree:" put your Faith in our God and Savior Jesus Christ, Repent from your sins (overcome the devil), and let God transform you into a New Person by giving you His Holy Spirit when He reveals Himself in His Glory. He is the vine, and we are the branches - if we Unite with Him IN SPIRIT.

Matthew 19:26 "Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE."

Ezekiel 17:22-24

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches. And all the trees will know that it is I, the Lord, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and GIVES THE DEAD TREE NEW LIFE. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said!”

• the "tall green trees" God decides to cut down are self-righteous, proud and arrogant people 

• the "short and dead trees" God decides to grow tall are humble, God-fearing people who turn to Him in obedience

Matthew 23:12 "But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Revelation 2:7 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is VICTORIOUS I will give FRUIT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE IN THE PARADISE OF GOD."

• John 15:5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. THOSE WHO REMAIN IN ME, AND I IN THEM, WILL PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT. For apart from me you can do nothing."

NOTE: There is NO TREE that produces both Good AND Bad fruit. It's one OR the other. You either REPENTED or you DID NOT.

1 John 3:6–10

“ANYONE WHO CONTINUES TO LIVE IN HIM WILL NOT SIN.

But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.

But WHEN PEOPLE KEEP SINNING, IT SHOWS THAT THEY BELONG TO THE DEVIL, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.

Those who have been born into God’s family DO NOT make a practice of sinning, BECAUSE GOD’S LIFE IS IN THEM. So they can’t keep on sinning, BECAUSE THEY ARE CHILDREN OF GOD.

So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”