God made the first tree, his name was Adam. God called His creation “good.” However, God’s first man and first woman were not created infallible, but “fallible”; which means they were created with the capacity to sin. When confronted with the Law of God, and a choice to obey or not to obey, Adam and Eve failed the test and sinned against God in eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

(Genesis 2:16-17) “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” But notice the last words of verse 17, “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

According to the narrative in Genesis 3, this death was first spiritual, a separation from God, as you see Adam’s and Eve’s action of hiding from God, trying to cover their nakedness; and of God’s curse on the entire creation including man and woman. Because of this death, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12); the first tree and all the trees after that were made a corrupt tree bringing forth evil fruit. (See Ephesians 2:1, “…dead in trespasses and sins.”) Man made the tree corrupt by his own sin against God.

“But God!” Praise God, Hallelujah! God had the Plan of Redemption; in which He purposed to change the corrupt tree into a “good” (incorrupt) tree that would bring forth good fruit.

This Plan of Redemption is revealed in the vicarious (substitutionary) and expiatory (satisfying) Sacrifice of Christ on the cross for sinners. (See Isaiah 53:1-12; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24; Galatians 3:13.) According to these Scriptures, Christ made atonement for the sin debt of His Seed on the cross. (See especially Isaiah 53:10-11.) Here God was satisfied with the Payment in Christ (Isaiah 53:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:1-22). Here sinners were justified (Romans 3:24-25; 5:1-2) by Christ (or by the Law of Faith, Christ is The Faith). Sinners were justified Eternally in Christ (1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 13:8), on the cross, which is Judicial Justification (Romans 3:24-25). And then in time, the sinner receives Experiential Justification, when he is regenerated by the Spirit of Christ (Galatians 4:5-6).

It was in the death of Christ that this tree was Redeemed, Reconciled, made Righteous, and Sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:28-31). (John 15:16a) “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”

How do I know if I am a good tree? You shall know by your fruits. See Matthew 7:16-20; verse 20, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Paul said in Romans 8:14-15:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

There will be the witness of the Spirit, (Romans 8:16) “The Spirit itself (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”