Can someone whose heart has been hardened come back?
Yes, if the turning is real and it is done now. Scripture holds out both a warning and an open door: there is a hardness so settled that it no longer wants to come, and there is a God who says, 'Seek Yahweh while he may be found.' The worst king in Judah's history came back, and the men who crucified the Son of God were told to repent, and three thousand did. If you want to come back, that wanting is itself grace at work.
This question arose from studying Why does God harden hearts? and Can I seek God on my own?.
Begin by reading
Go into the Word
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
The invitation is issued now, and that is the point
God does not offer pardon in the past tense. 'Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on him while he is near,' and the next verse says what happens to the one who does: 'let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.' Hebrews presses the same urgency twice in one chapter: 'Today if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.' A warning like that is not a locked door with a sign on it; it is a hand held out. And Paul says it as plainly as it can be said: 'Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.'
Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you will hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness,
while it is said, “Today if you will hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.”
for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
God promises to be found by those who seek Him
The promise is not hedged with qualifications about how bad you have been. 'You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.' Moses had said the same to a people about to be scattered for their idolatry: 'from there you shall seek Yahweh your God, and you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.' Solomon's prayer over a failed nation has the same shape: 'if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin.' Even the parable of the son who wasted everything ends with the father running: 'But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.' And Jesus says of every comer, 'He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.' The last page of the Bible is still saying, 'He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.'
You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God, and you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” He who hears, let him say, “Come!” He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.
The worst man in Scripture came back
If there were a category of sin too dark to return from, Manasseh would have been in it. He rebuilt the high places, worshiped the host of heaven inside the temple, and 'shed innocent blood very much, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another.' God spoke to him, and he gave no heed. Then, in chains in Babylon, 'when he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication.' The same is true of the men who killed Jesus. Peter told them to their faces, 'this Jesus whom you crucified,' and they 'were cut to the heart.' Peter did not tell them the door was shut; he said, 'Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' 'There were added that day about three thousand souls.' And Paul, who had hunted Christians, called himself the chief of sinners and said God showed him mercy 'for this cause... that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.'
Yahweh spoke to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed. Therefore Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. When he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.
Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh.
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.
But there is a repentance that is only fear
Pharaoh is the warning here, and he confessed twice. Under the hail he said, 'I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked,' and asked Moses to pray for him. Then the hail stopped, and 'he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart.' Under the locusts he said it again, 'I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you,' and hardened again. His words were true and his repentance was not, because nothing changed. Paul draws the line: 'godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world works death.' So the test is not whether you feel bad or say the right words. Joel says, 'Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God,' and Proverbs says, 'He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.' David knew what God was looking for: 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.'
Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”
When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you. Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death.”
For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world works death.
“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
The line Scripture actually warns about
There is a hardness that goes past returning, and Scripture names it so that we will not stumble into it. Hebrews speaks of people who were 'once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift,' and then fell away, and says 'it is impossible to renew them again to repentance.' It warns about sinning 'willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth,' and about the man who 'has insulted the Spirit of grace.' It sets Esau before us as an example: afterward he wanted the blessing, 'for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.' Jesus calls the same thing blasphemy against the Spirit, the sin that 'will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.' Notice what all of these describe: not a person who trembles and wants to come back, but a person who has settled, who crucifies Christ again, and who calls the Spirit's work demonic. The warning is written to people who can still read it. Fearing that you have done it is not the same as having done it; the sin itself is ceasing to want forgiveness at all.
For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.
What to do today
Do not wait for a feeling before you come. God's word to us is 'Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,' and to the contrite He is near: 'Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.' Pray David's prayer after him: 'Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.' Confess specifically and stop excusing: 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' Humble yourself instead of hardening: 'Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you,' and 'Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.' And take Him fully at His word, because He is the one saying it: 'Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.' He is still standing at the door: 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock,' and 'As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.'
“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
Explore further
What is the unpardonable sin?→The Holy Spirit trail“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.”How do I know my repentance is genuine?→The Gospel trail“For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world works death.”Can I seek God on my own?→Who We Are trail“As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.””Is there a second chance after death?→Our Hope trail“Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
When he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.
All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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