Steve,

Last week, I think you mentioned something about a wife taking her husband's last name, or not.

For the past generation, there has also been a third thing, which apparently happened a lot.

That is the hyphenated last name, of the wife's last name before the marriage, and the husband's last name.

I do not wish to address that practice, but rather how it reminds me of something else.

I too often find myself in a hyphenated way, that of both my old nature, and that of the new.

In my case, it is probably because I want to hold on to my old life, the old nature, i.e. me without Jesus.

While at the same time, also trying to hold on to the new life, the new nature, i.e. me saved by Jesus, with his Spirit within.

However, that is clearly not the way to remain:

I Kings 18:21a And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions?

Deuteronomy 30:19b I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

  17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

II Kings 17:41a So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images,

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

When trying to maintain that hyphenated way, I find myself as confused as a bat in a snowstorm.