Witness in the Word · Module 4 — The Anchor: What God’s Word Actually Does
Class 16 – Hardness of Heart
Source: It Is Written, Chapter Five
What Is Hardness of Heart
The term hardness of heart appears repeatedly throughout Scripture, yet it is often misunderstood or lightly treated. Scripture addresses hardness of heart in believers as well as nonbelievers. It describes a condition in which truth is heard but resisted, presented but not received, and known but not obeyed. A hardened heart is not formed in a moment. It develops gradually through repeated resistance to what God has spoken.
It is insensitivity toward Scripture and a condition in which a person does not feel conviction over wrongdoing. It is a state of unbelief in which Scripture and the Holy Spirit have a limited effect on the heart of an individual. Hardness of heart can range from being somewhat hardened to being stone-cold hard against God.
Jesus spoke directly to this condition when He addressed those who heard His words but refused to respond to them. He did not accuse them of ignorance. He accused them of hardness.
“But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?’” — Matthew 22:18
They heard the truth clearly, yet their hearts were closed to it. Hardness of heart explains why truth can be present without transformation. It explains why Scripture may be read, preached, and even agreed with, yet produce no lasting change.
Definition of Heart
The heart, in scriptural reference, does not refer to the blood-pumping organ of the body. Instead, it refers to the mind, will, and emotions, which together make up the soul. The soul and the heart are used interchangeably in Scripture and refer to the center of our conscious being. I am adding this explanation because I feel it helps clarify the overall concept of reading and retaining Scripture.
Our makeup as human beings consists of body, soul, and spirit. The body is what we can clearly see; it is the housing for the soul and the spirit. When we repent of our sins and are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit enters into our soul, and the center of conscience is cleansed. Our old way of thinking becomes new. We talk and act from the center of our mind and heart in a different manner because we are now controlled by the Spirit of God. From this center of consciousness come the desires to read Scripture, pray, give praise to God, and store the Word within us.
How Hardness of Heart Develops
Hardness of heart begins to develop when we resist setting aside time to pray and fail to devote sufficient time to nourishing the Holy Spirit within us. In the beginning, when we are saved, our hearts are soft and pliable. If we offend or are offended, our conscience is immediately brought under conviction by the Holy Spirit. Each time we speak or act in a manner we should not, we readily feel conviction from the Holy Spirit, letting us know we have behaved in a way that is not right.
As time passes, with continued offense—especially if we delay responding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit—the heart begins the hardening process. This makes the next offense easier to ignore. As hardness progresses, our sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit becomes weaker. Over time, without repentance, the heart becomes hardened, and the voice of the Spirit is barely heard and ultimately ignored.
Scripture makes clear that the heart is not merely the seat of emotion. Biblically, the heart represents the inner governing center of a person—the place where belief, intention, and will converge.
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” — Proverbs 23:7
What governs the heart governs life. A hardened heart resists correction. It clings to familiarity instead of obedience. Truth is acknowledged, but it is not permitted to govern. This is why hardness of heart is so dangerous. It does not always appear as open rebellion; often, it appears as religious activity that lacks submission.
The Pharisees provide one of the clearest examples of this condition. They knew Scripture extensively. They quoted it, taught it, and defended it. Yet when Truth stood before them in the person of Jesus Christ, they rejected Him. Jesus addressed this directly:
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” — John 5:39–40
Notice that their problem was not a lack of Scripture, but a lack of willingness. Hardness of heart is a refusal to yield, not a failure to hear.
One of the primary contributors to hardness of heart is offense. Offense, when retained, becomes a barrier between truth and obedience. Jesus warned of this condition in His teaching on forgiveness:
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” — Mark 11:25
This statement follows immediately after Jesus’ teaching on faith and speaking. The connection is intentional. Faith cannot operate freely where offense is harbored. A heart that refuses forgiveness becomes rigid, defensive, and resistant. Over time, that resistance hardens.
The writer of Hebrews issues a serious warning:
“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” — Hebrews 3:15
The warning is directed toward those who are already hearing. The danger lies not in ignorance, but in delay. Each refusal to obey makes the next refusal easier.
Hardness of heart also develops through habitual disobedience. When a person repeatedly ignores conviction, conscience becomes dull. What once produced discomfort begins to feel normal. Paul addresses this condition:
“Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” — Ephesians 4:18
This blindness is not intellectual. It is moral and spiritual. It is the result of repeated resistance to truth. Over time, resistance becomes posture, and posture becomes condition.
Hardness of Heart Changes a Person
Scripture does not deny the reality of suffering, but it warns against interpreting God’s faithfulness through temporary pain.
“Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” — Romans 9:20
When the heart insists on understanding before obedience, it risks hardening.
I once witnessed a man who had carried unforgiveness for many years. At the time, he was serving as a youth leader, and in some way, he became offended. In later years, he would still speak of those days, though he had grown into an older man. You could see the hurt on his face. It seemed that every smile was forced, all because of an incident he was unwilling to release. He continued to attend church regularly and would sit quietly, seldom greeting anyone unless they greeted him first. I do not know what his final outcome was. But to live a lifetime with hardness of heart and carry unresolved hurt is a heavy and unnecessary burden, one that slowly diminishes joy, weakens faith, and restricts the work God desires to do in a person’s life.
Hardness of heart directly affects speech. A hardened heart speaks defensively, critically, and often faithlessly. Words become shaped by frustration rather than trust. This is why Scripture repeatedly links heart condition to confession.
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” — Matthew 12:34
When the heart hardens, speech begins to reflect that condition. Words become careless, cynical, or harsh. Faith-filled confession gradually gives way to resignation. Over time, this manner of speaking reinforces the hardened condition instead of correcting it.
The disciples themselves struggled with hardness of heart, even after witnessing the works of Jesus. After witnessing miracles, Jesus still rebuked them, saying:
“Is your heart still hardened?” — Mark 8:17
This statement was not directed at unbelievers, but at those walking closely with Him. Proximity to truth does not prevent hardness of heart. Only obedience does.
The remedy for hardness of heart is not information, but humility.
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” — James 4:6
Humility reopens the heart. It allows correction without offense and instruction without resistance. Repentance plays a critical role here. Repentance is not sorrow alone; it is a change of direction. A heart that repents softens. It yields. It repositions itself under God’s authority.
“A broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” — Psalm 51:17
Forgiveness is also essential. Forgiveness releases the heart from bondage. It removes barriers that restrict faith. Jesus made forgiveness a prerequisite for effective prayer because an unforgiving heart cannot remain open. It closes inwardly, protecting pain rather than receiving truth.
Finally, the Word of God itself is the instrument God uses to soften the heart—when it is received.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” — Hebrews 4:12
But even a sharp instrument must be allowed to cut. Resistance dulls its effect. Hardness of heart is not permanent unless it is protected. Scripture continually invites response: Today, if you will hear His voice. The heart that responds remains soft. The heart that delays begins to harden.
This chapter stands as a warning and an invitation. Truth cannot reshape what is refused. The Word of God cannot govern where it is resisted. A softened heart, however, becomes fertile ground where truth takes root, faith grows, and words regain their authority.
For Reflection
Read: Hebrews 4:12; Hebrews 3:15
1. "A softened heart becomes fertile ground." What has made your own heart resistant to correction in the past?
2. The chapter says truth cannot reshape what is refused. Where have you been refusing correction rather than receiving it?
3. Is there someone you have not forgiven that is standing between you and a softened heart before God?
This Week: Let Scripture "cut" in one specific area this week — read a passage that convicts you and respond to it instead of moving past it.