Identity confusion has not only damaged individuals but also the church,” said Prof. David Murray as he commended Dr. Barry York’s new book on the marks of the church. The destruction caused by that confusion is evident in big cities and at rural intersections in our nations.

In one recent discussion on social media, Reformed Presbyterian pastors and elders shared that one of the most rejected pieces of counsel they give is that a visitor should be interviewed by the session before communing in an RP church. While one might expect a visitor to be surprised by this practice, since it is unheard of in most churches, it is sad that many visitors think it odd that a church would want to know their Christian testimony before they commune. Many have walked out when presented with this practice and have never returned.

In times past, the same has been true about a cappella psalm singing. That has changed somewhat as psalm singing becomes more popular in certain streams of Christendom. But that’s precisely the problem. We ought not to be moved by what is in fashion. Neither should someone searching for a church be motivated solely by a wish list.

RPs are grateful for a centuries-long connection to the Scriptures and to scriptural standards, but we are not immune to church trends. Once we adopt the conviction that “we’re the good guys,” we also must guard against the dangers of wrong ideas creeping in, or of inaction or apathy.

That’s where the book Hitting the Marks can help those of us who are committed to a congregation and denomination and don’t expect to go “church shopping” anytime soon. The marks of the church are not like a driver’s test that you pass once and receive a license for life. The marks are biblical standards we must frequently compare our congregations with. That includes evaluating how we as individuals can exercise repentance, improve our service, encourage and counsel our brothers and sisters in Christ, etc.

If the Word of God is being taught faithfully in your entire worship service but is not the highest priority in your daily decisions or the decisions of the other church members, how can you say your church is hitting that mark? If you conduct the Lord’s supper with precision to the biblical model but don’t bare your soul to the Lord Jesus and then lay down your life for others, how can you say your church is hitting that mark? If your church excommunicates people as needed but doesn’t practice the fellowship, encouragement, accountability, and biblical peacemaking that help minimize the need for formal church discipline, can you brag that you are hitting that mark?

Whether looking for a church now or not, we each have a lot to take to God in prayer and repentance, seeking His grace and power. There are many Christians currently swept up in the church’s identity crisis, and they need all the help we can give.