What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of The Vine Community based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

God eternally exists in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — equal in power and glory. He has revealed Himself to be perfect in love, holiness and righteousness. He created all, upholds all and governs all.

The scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are given by divine inspiration and are the written Word of God, the final authority for the lives of believers in every culture and age, and the infallible rule for faith and practice. The primary purpose of scripture is to lead people to faith in Jesus.

God has revealed Himself as a Father who is an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; He hears and answers prayer; and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and Who is both true God and true man. He was born of a virgin; lived a sinless life; fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah; performed miracles as evidence of His Messiahship; died a substitutionary, atoning death for our sins; rose bodily from the dead; ascended into heaven; and offers continual intercession for His people.

The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit enters the life of a person when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, seals believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, gives gifts for serving one another, and empowers believers to live as His witnesses.

Man was created in God’s image, tempted by the devil and subsequently rebelled against God. Men and women are now fallen in nature and evidence this condition in sinful deeds. God forgives those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord, declares them righteous, adopts them as His children, baptizes them with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their future resurrection and inheritance with Christ, incorporates them into His Body and empowers them for His service.

The Church is the living, spiritual Body of Christ of which Christ is the Head and all regenerated persons are members. The local church is the primary instrument of God for the extension of His kingdom today. The Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We respect the variations of practice of these ordinances and affirm the unity of Christ’s Body.

Christ will return to the earth physically to raise the dead, judge the world, consummate His glorious kingdom, and bestow eternal blessing on the righteous. This is the hope of the church.

WE BELIEVE that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. Gen 2:18-25.

WE BELIEVE that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. 1 Cor 6:18, 7:2-5; Heb 13:4; Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10, Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22

WE BELIEVE that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of The Vine Community.  Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.

WE BELIEVE that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Gen 1:26-27.