Definition: God instituted a covenant of circumcision with His people in the Old Testament to signify them as a separate people from the surrounding nations. Under the New Covenant, the Spirit of God circumcises His people in heart rather than in the body. The ordinance of baptism functions as a sign of this work.

Scriptures: Colossians 2:11-12; Genesis 17:10-11; Romans 2:28-29

Study: New Testament authors take the sign of circumcision as a sign of the believer’s separation from both the world and the flesh. Paul tells us that we have been separated from our flesh by a divine circumcision of the heart that leads us to walk in a new pattern of living. Not only that, but just as circumcision marked the Jewish people as separate from other nations, so, too, does the work of Christ make us separate from the world around us. We live by a different standard and follow different customs.

Questions to Ask: (these will help process the truth learned)

- What did circumcision represent when it was initially given?

- What does circumcision represent for believers today?

- What is the “circumcision of the heart?”

- Can you belong to Christ without the circumcision of the heart taking place?