Book Review: A Vine-Ripened Life By Stanley D Gale

Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). What did Jesus mean by bearing fruit? Many people have associated bearing fruit to evangelism. If you are not leading people to Jesus, you are not bearing fruit therefore you may not be a Christian. While evangelism is the call for all Christian to observe, there will be times you will not lead anyone to Jesus because of the hardness of their hearts.

John 15 is a great passage that deals with our union with Christ, which has been so misinterpreted and misunderstood. Our union with Christ is about bearing fruit but this fruit is directly related to the fruit of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 which Stanley D. Gale addresses in his book, A Vine-Ripened Life. Gale wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit works in us is not apart from Christ, but is bound up in Christ. We abound in that fruit through abiding in Christ. The fruit of new life comes through union with Christ that flows from the inside out. It grows from the good soil of a changed heart that is transformed by God's Spirit" (pg.5).

The bulk of the book deals with how abiding in Christ leads us to generate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. He goes through each fruit in order, which are, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). I am sure most of us can quote that in our sleep.

The book is very theological and written in user-friendly devotional format which new believers can read and understand. Also for those who have been in the faith for a while and have heard misinterpretations of John 15 as well as the fruit of the Spirit, this will also be a refreshing book to read and study.

Thanks Reformation Heritage Books for letting me review this book.