Bible Doctrine
The Incredible Operation That God Performed On The Day You Became Born Again
Being born again is acknowledging that you are sick and dying with an incurable disease, and asking God to perform the operation that only He can perform. You have become born again in the most literal sense. You have a brand new soul that can never, ever again be touched with sin and death.

You and I were not made in God’s image like Adam and Eve were, far from it, we were created in Adam’s fallen image. Our first birth is corrupted, it’s no good. That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus in John that he needed to be born again.
For the born again, new creature believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible doctrine of spiritual circumcision is one of the most amazing in the New Testament. It not only sheds additional light on facets of the new birth often overlooked or overly spiritualized, but it also shows the “behind the scenes” action at the moment of salvation.
“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:11,12 (KJV)
We are created in three parts: body, soul and spirit
Adam and Eve were created in the image of God as we read in Genesis, but when they sinned they were cursed, cast out and corrupted that Godly image they were made in. In Genesis 5, we see whose image everyone since that time have been made in:
“And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:” Genesis 5:3 (KJV)
You and I were not made in God’s image like Adam and Eve were, far from it, we were created in Adam’s fallen image. Our first birth is corrupted, it’s no good. That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus in John that he needed to be born again.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (KJV)
So then we were created in three parts, our body, our soul, and our spirit. Paul; lays that out for us in 1 Thessalonians:
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV)
Our soul is a carbon copy of our body with all the same feelings and desires
When the rich man in Luke 16 died and went down to Hell, we read of a very interesting situation. His body remained behind in the grave, but in his soul existence his life went on without missing a beat. The incredible thing is, without a body he could still see with his eyes, hear with his ears, gesture with his limbs, his hands and desire water because he was thirsty. All without having a physical body!
“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” Luke 16:23,24 (KJV)
In the person who is not born again, their soul and body are fused together. When they commit sin in their flesh, their soul also becomes tainted with sin. But when they become born again as Jesus commands, God the Holy Spirit steps in and does some amazing surgery to fix this problem for all eternity. He cuts the soul away from the flesh by circumcision.
God performs spiritual circumcision on us at the moment of salvation
The Bible refers to Jesus as the Great Physician who heals and makes whole, who raises us from the dead, and gives us new life that can never be lost or taken away. And like any great doctor, Jesus performs surgery on us to give us that new life by the operation of His Hands.
“Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.” Psalm 28:5 (KJV)
In the Old Testament, God says He will not build up those who have no regard for the operation of His hands. In the New Testament, we see God as a Surgeon performing that operation to free our soul from our body and ‘quickening’ us, which is to say to ‘make us alive’ in Him. It all happens in an instant, it is the work of a moment that is finished the moment it is started.
“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:11-15 (KJV)
Those 4 verses show you exactly what happened the moment you got saved. Someone witnessed to you either with a tract, a personal testimony or you listened to some old-fashioned, rightly divided Bible preaching. You came to see yourself as God sees you, a sinner headed for the same Hell where the rich man from Luke 16 is still burning. You bowed your head and asked God to save you with the payment Jesus made on the cross at Calvary.
It was at that moment you were operated on
With the payment of God’s shed blood now applied to your sin debt, the Holy Spirit then circumcised you. Not in your flesh which dies, but in your soul which will live forever more in either Heaven or Hell. Your soul became gloriously born again, with all of your past, present and future sins now placed under the blood. And what was the scalpel that God used to cut your soul away from your body with? We find it here in Hebrews:
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
It is the blessed preserved word of God that has saved your soul. The living, breathing word of God. Think is doesn’t matter which version of the Bible you read? Think again! Now you know why we are such sticklers for the King James Bible.
“Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?” Ecclesiastes 8:4 (KJV)
The operation of God being complete and you are now the new creature that 2 Corinthians 5:17 says you are. Future sin in the flesh doesn’t touch the soul because it is no longer attached to it. John gives us the remedy on how to restore fellowship with the Lord after the born again believer sins:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (KJV)
Being born again is not some 30-second prayer you say becomes someone tells you to say it. Being born again is acknowledging that you are sick and dying with an incurable disease, and asking God to perform the operation that only He can perform. You have become born again in the most literal sense. You have a brand new soul that can never, ever again be touched with sin and death.
At the Rapture, God will then give your reborn soul a reborn body to go with it, and that’s how you will exist with Him for all eternity.
Body, soul and spirit.
