Indeed, and Saul of Tarsus wanted nothing to do with those of "The Way", except to destroy them. Saul of Tarsus, just as we all, no more asked to be transformed, born again than he or we ask to be born into the world.
Notice who is doing the work in Ezekiel 36, as God promises the new birth of regeneration, and what must happen first before God can be followed and obeyed:
24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
That is the passage that Jesus was referring to with Nicodemus, when speaking to Nicodemus about the new birth of water and Spirit. Just as the priests before entering the inner sanctuary of the temple had to be ceremonially cleansed at the laver, so to before entering into the inner sanctuary of the New Temple of Christ and His Kingdom, God cleanses us with Living Water, gives us a new heart and puts His Spirit in us, none of which we ask for, none of which we seek, none of which comes as the result of the working of our own will, for like Saul our natural will is staunchly opposed to God, enemies of God. After that, then notice what follows, God is the cause whereby God does cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
Without God's Mercy in those actions in spite of our unwillingness and opposition to God we would all remain dead to God.
So too does Paul echo Ezekiel in Ephesians 2;
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Notice whom Paul says we were following before God cleanses, and performs a heart transplant and putting His Spirit in those whom He chooses:
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience
Then notice what our state of reality was prior to the Regeneration performed by God while we were obstinately opposed to God;
, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Each and every one of us were "by nature children of wrath". Yet man still wants to arrogantly think that he is the one seeking God and comes to God by the working of his own will.
O proud and arrogant man, child of disobedience and wrath, how dare you think you are the cause of God's Mercy and Grace!
Amen! Great post. Scripture is filled with instruction that clearly gives us the path of our faith -- from God to us. We don't reach up to God. God reached down to us and quickened us by His Spirit. He gave us a new heart, turned our eyes from the darkness to the light, opened our ears to His word, and cleansed us of our sins by the sacrifice of His Son.
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." -- John 15:16"Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee" -- Psalm 65:4