One of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible is the notion of hardening. Yet, understanding hardening is crucial, as it can significantly shape our view of God’s character and the biblical narrative. Misinterpretations of hardening can lead to misconceptions about God’s intentions and actions. This blog will offer a full explanation of the biblical concept of hardening, revealing how it is fundamentally rooted in God’s love.

The fact that it is rooted in God’s love is important because many peoples view of hardening is strictly about judgment and has nothing to do with God’s love. While it is a common view of hardening which focuses only on God’s wrath and misunderstands justice as retributive it is unacceptable understanding for 2 reasons. First, because it doesn’t align with the data and context of hardening provided in scripture and second, because it violates the hermeneutic of agape love (if you would like to know what is meant by the hermeneutic of love further you could read this blog post on the topic https://wordpress.com/post/thelogosofagape.wordpress.com/708).

As John Wesley insightfully stated, 

“There is nothing more repugnant to all the principles of reason, to all the feelings of humanity, than a formless, cruel God, whose whole conduct is guided by mere will, having no rule but his own, who works not by wisdom but by arbitrary will, who can punish his creatures for that he made them, and for not being that he did not make them.” (Reference 1)

Wesley’s reflection reminds us that God’s dealings with humanity, including the process of hardening, are not arbitrary but grounded in His wise and loving character. This is even the case when it comes to the hard to understand statements in scriptures like wrath and hardening. As Wesley notes elsewhere:

“Even when He gave them up to their own heart’s lusts, He was only leading them to repentance by their own wickedness. He did this in judgment indeed, but at the same time, in mercy also.” (Reference 2)

Wesley’s perspective underscores a vital truth: even in what may seem like acts of divine abandonment or judgment, God’s ultimate aim is to lead individuals back to repentance and restoration.

The Nature of Human Free Will and God’s Love in Hardening

Understanding hardening requires a grasp of the biblical concept of free will. Free will in the biblical sense means more than just an ability to do what we “want.” Animals have this ability, but when we speak of human free will, we refer to the capacity to choose between right and wrong, even when our desires lean toward wrongdoing. Humanity, uniquely, can choose to act contrary to its highest desires.

To be clear, humans—due to the fall and being born into mortality—possess a flesh inclined to sin. However, because of God’s grace, His law is written all human hearts, drawing us toward goodness that often contradicts our natural desires. This drawing is not a passive experience but an active engagement from God, rooted in His love.

Choosing against one’s desires could be called an aspect of agape love, as it involves choosing to put someone else’s needs and desires above one’s own. Humans are commanded to do this. God tells us to love Him completely and love our neighbors as ourselves. All people are enabled by God’s drawing from birth to do this, even though this runs contrary to some assertions. It is evident even in children: when I tell a child to choose what is right, even though they desire the opposite, it is not an empty command they cannot obey.

In the same way, I believe God does not command us to do things that He does not, at the same time, draw us to do. Commands themselves are a form of drawing. What complicates this in Scripture is the concept of hardening. With the human natural state established, let’s explore the three types of hardening in Scripture: self-hardening, disciplinary hardening, and what I call restorative hardening.

Self-Hardening 

Self-hardening occurs when we are confronted with truth and choose not to follow it, regardless of whether our desires align with that truth. Each time we reject God’s truth, our hearts grow harder to His drawing. Scripture supports this concept with examples such as Pharaoh hardening his heart against God (Exodus 8:15) and the warning against a hardening one’s own heart in several times throughout Hebrews (3:13 for example).

As we continue to harden ourselves, our hearts can become calloused, like a heart of stone, resulting in “eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear” (Isaiah 6:10, Matthew 13:15). Persistent self-hardening can lead to a second type of hardening—disciplinary hardening.

Disciplinary Hardening: 

Disciplinary hardening occurs when God ceases His drawing as a form of discipline, hoping that the person will learn from the consequences of their sin and eventually return to Him. This is akin to a parent who, after years of pleading with a drug-addicted child to stop, finally allows them to experience the full weight of their decisions by stepping back.

Scripture describes this as sending a “spirit of stupor” (Romans 11:8). God no longer draws because He believes that the best way for the person to learn is through the natural consequences of their sin, with the hope that they will eventually return to Him, much like the discipline described in 1 Corinthians 5:5, where a person is handed over to Satan “for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved.”

However, if this disciplinary hardening fails to bring about repentance, God may employ what I call community restorative hardening.

Community Restorative Hardening

In community restorative hardening, God sees that disciplinary hardening has not worked, so He decides to use the evil that a person does to bring about a greater purpose and good. He keeps them in their hardened state for the good of not only themselves but others as well.

Using the analogy of the drug addict, they have now become a drug dealer. The loving parent might work with the police to set up a sting operation, using the drug-addicted child in their hardened state to expose and restore not only the child but also others involved in the drug trade.

Similarly, God uses people who have chosen to harden themselves and have not learned from His disciplinary hardening. He takes them in their hardened state and uses them to achieve a greater good. We see this plainly in the stories of Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 50:20), Pharaoh (Exodus 9:16), and the hardened Israelites during Jesus’ time (Romans 11).

In each situation, individuals hardened themselves, then God hardened them as a form of discipline, and finally, He used them in their hardened state to bring about a large-scale restoration, including, hopefully, their own. Romans 11 speaks to this beautifully: “For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all” (Romans 11:32).

The Love That Underlies Hardening 

 A critical aspect of understanding biblical hardening is recognizing that even God’s most severe actions are motivated by love. God’s justice, including the hardening process, is not simply about punishing the wicked but about restoring creation to its intended order. As N.T. Wright eloquently states, 

“God’s justice is not simply a blind dispensing of rewards for the good and punishments for the wicked, but is ultimately about setting the world right, restoring it to the way it was always meant to be, reflecting his love and mercy.” (Reference 3)

This perspective helps us see that God’s actions, even when they involve hardening, are aimed at the ultimate good of His creation. 

 At the heart of all forms of hardening—whether self-imposed, disciplinary, or restorative—is God’s love. God’s ultimate desire is not to condemn, but to save. In Romans 11, Paul discusses the hardening of Israel, explaining that “God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all” (Romans 11:32). Here, Paul reveals that even in hardening, God’s purpose is merciful and redemptive.

The hardening of Israel, for example, led to the opening of the Gospel to the Gentiles, which in turn was meant to provoke Israel to jealousy and ultimately lead to their salvation (Romans 11:11-14). This demonstrates that God’s hardening serves a greater purpose—restoration and the fulfillment of His plan to bring about His loving kingdom. 

As Wesley, Wright, and others have suggested, God’s judgments, including the process of hardening, are not final rejections but are aimed at leading individuals and nations to repentance and restoration. They are part of the broader narrative of God’s love, a love that is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

Conclusion:

Understanding divine hardening through the lens of love reshapes our perception of God’s character and His actions throughout the biblical narrative. It reveals that even in judgment, God’s motives are rooted in love, aimed at bringing about ultimate restoration and reconciliation. Whether we are self-hardening, or God is working through disciplinary or restorative hardening, God’s love remains the driving force, guiding His interactions with humanity. 

In this light, hardening is not an arbitrary or punitive action, but a deeply loving one, intended to bring individuals and nations back into a right relationship with God, where they can fully experience and reflect His agape love. This understanding invites us to trust in God’s loving purposes, even when they involve difficult processes like hardening, knowing that His ultimate goal is our restoration and the establishment of His loving kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

This perspective not only aligns with the broader biblical narrative but also offers a compelling vision of a God who is both just and loving, whose ultimate goal is the redemption and restoration of all things.

Bibliography:

1. Wesley, John. Sermons on Several Occasions. Sermon 128: “Free Grace.” Available in The Works of John Wesley, Volume 7: Sermons 123-151. Edited by Albert C. Outler. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1987. Page 373.

2. Wesley, John. Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, specifically in the commentary on Romans 1:24-28. In the most recent edition published by Baker Books, this quote is on page 409.

3. Wright, N.T. Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part 2: Chapters 9-16. Westminster John Knox Press, 2004. Page 83.