Are words necessary or is a change of heart all that is needed?

I may have written about this recently, not sure.  Anyway it is something that I have been pondering for a while.  Here is the question.  Are words necessary or is a change of heart good enough? 

Here is what I mean by that.  I think it is accepted dogma in the Christian faith that you have to specifically ask Jesus into your life.  Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and all of that.  And right along with that I have always believed that we have to request that our sins be forgiven. 

Well here is the funny thing.  I have found several places where it seems to me that Jesus is saying "actions speak louder than words, close enough".  That the exact method isn't that important.  It's almost like the whole have to say it thing is more of a "Pharisee" requirement.  Read this passage and then I'll explain what I mean.

Luke 7:36-48(NKJV)

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 

And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 

and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 

And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 

Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 

You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 

You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

So in this example the woman never asks for forgiveness.  Yet through her actions she shows where her heart is and as we know, with Jesus, it is a heart issue more than anything else.  He tells her that her sins are forgiven. 

Now don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying that you don't have to believe Jesus was the Son of God.  I believe you absolutely do.  I'm just not sure that you have to do it in the exact way with the secret handshake if you know what I mean.     

I know that there is Scripture that specifically says you have to believe in your heart and say with your mouth.  Unfortunately I can't find where Jesus Himself says that.  I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with saying it.  I'm just saying that based on what I have read from Jesus Himself it may not be absolutely necessary.  It's more of a heart issue with Jesus.

Oh well, something that bears further study.