Becoming Circumcised as a Christian

Thus far, I have examined the relationship of circumcision to the New Covenant in two parts: that it is the sign of the Abrahamic covenant, which is the foundation of the New Covenant, and that it was an outward sign intended to mirror an internal spiritual process. In this article, I would like elaborate on how Christian circumcision, which is spiritual, differs from the physical circumcision undergone by Israel under the Old Covenant.

It is interesting to note that circumcision under the Old Covenant was determined by one's birth rather than a conscious choice. A man born in Israel was physically circumcised when he reached 8 days old without his consent and with no meaningful commitment to God on his part (since he was incapable of doing so at 8 days old.) It was a mark that hewas  born into the Old Covenant to be one of God's chosen people. Consequently, a problem arose: not everyone born an Israelite was faithful to the covenant, and this effectively rendered their physical sign of circumcision, which signified their dedication to God, useless!

By contrast, Christians choose to have faith in God long after their physical birth, becoming spiritually circumcised when they enter the New Covenant. Scripture reveals that at baptism a Christian is dies in the flesh and is born into a new creation:

John 3:28
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

A Christian symbolically puts his human nature to death through the act of baptism, and Paul referred to this as the death of the "old man," which was done "that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:6). Similar language is used in reference to the "circumcision of Christ:"

Colossians 2:11
In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.

Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that cutting off the foreskin is symbolic of "putting off the body of the sins of the flesh," and this is the primary meaning of circumcision. In putting the old man to death in the likeness of Christ's death, Christians are also born according to the Spirit as a "new man" in the likeness of Christ's resurrection:

Romans 6:8-11
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more... He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As a baby born in Israel was circumcised outwardly as a show of dedication to God, so also a Christian entering the New Covenant, being created as a "new man," is circumcised inwardly by putting off his sins through repentance as a show of dedication to God. The "circumcision made without hands" amounts to precisely the change of heart that God always desired from His people:

Deuteronomy 10:16
Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.

Circumcision of the heart comes by virtue of the choice to repent and following through on that choice! It occurs through baptism and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which constitute the death of the "body of sin," which is the state of spiritual uncircumcision, and the beginning of a new,  "circumcised" life according to the Spirit. I'll state once more, for dramatic effect: a Christian MUST be circumcised!

Next time, I will expound more on the symbolism of the circumcision of the heart in the scriptures and examine in more detail how a true, spiritually circumcised Christian conducts himself as a result of that process.