The Meaning of Circumcision for Christians

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. Genesis 17:10-14 (KJV)

Circumcision was introduced by God to Abraham and spoke of them cutting covenant together. It was an actual cutting away of the flesh, specifically the foreskin. As New Testament believers, circumcision takes on new meaning- it is a circumcision of the heart.

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Romans 2:29 (KJV)

Circumcision now refers to a spiritual cutting away of our sin nature when we are born again and enter covenant with God. We have been separated from sin to live a holy, righteous, and godly life which glorifies God.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Colossians 2:13 (KJV)

When we were not born again, we were dead in our sins and not in covenant with God (we were spiritually uncircumcised). Now, we are circumcised in Christ. The old man has been cut away and now our new man, a spirit man, can rule and dominate our flesh. God intends for our spirit to dominate and control our flesh and not the other way around. True circumcision is the cutting away of sin and the cutting away of the desire to sin. Because our heart has been born of God, we now have the nature of God, not the sin nature that we used to have.

To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. Jeremiah 6:10 (KJV)

When our heart has been circumcised, that means we are born again. Having circumcised ears means we can hear God. And when we have our mouths circumcised, it means we speak God’s Word. Uncircumcision is the opposite. To be uncircumcised spiritually means one is not born again, not hearing God and not speaking His Word. The cutting of circumcision sounds painful, but for us it is a spiritual cutting rather than one we feel physically. Being born again, we are circumcised in Christ and can live the sin-free life God intended for us to live.