Many people claim to confess their sins; yet, confession not followed by action remains fruitless. Several verses in the word of God indicate the truth of the matter. Consider the next four examples: (1) Confession of sin is connected to forsaking sin (Proverbs 28:13); (2) Confession of sin is followed by recompense of the trespass (Numbers 5:7); (3) Solomon connected confessing sin with turning from it (1 Kings 8:35); (4) Confession is followed by doing the Lord’s pleasure (Ezra 10:11). True confession involves much more than simply receiving the Lord’s forgiveness; it involves making wrongs right. True confession is never accomplished by merely opening one's mouth and spouting forth some meaningless words. True confession always produces change in the confessor.
A tender heart quickly and readily yields when offered correction; however, as a heart becomes hardened, the times of yielding become fewer and farther apart. During the hardening process, the individual finds the true nature of the heart more difficult to grasp. As the heart further hardens, the individual finds himself involved in further defiance. The mischief may start as seemingly insignificant, but a hardening heart will ultimately lead to greater depths of wickedness, some seemingly unimaginable only a short time ago. Some of the worst sins committed in the Bible by God's people were committed by those who shortly before had displayed a tender heart. Yet, they allowed their hearts to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
