He did not force Paul to love Him or to follow Him or evangelize. He asked him a question, basically, "what are you doing?"
That's what it takes to turn us from our own reflection to the face of God
If that face of God is hateful, no real love can follow.
If you think you are doing the turning, you are detracting from the grace that belongs to God alone.
If you think no one can repent, then Jesus was wasting His breath.
um, no. God knocked him flat off his horse in blinding light,and rung his bell, leaving him blind until God let him see.. Then He said "Why are you persecuting Me?
So who was Paul "persecuting" exactly? By all accounts he was stoning men, women and children or beating them in synagoques. So why did Jesus say ME.
It was because these people were Christ's church, way long before Rome made a claim to it.
The ability and will and desire to repent, like all good things, comes from God.
"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" -- 2 Timothy 2:25
Paul was slaughtering Christians. God threw him to the ground, caused him to tremble and then blinded him.
That is love. That God did not leave Paul in his sins, but grabbed hold of him in his darkness and turned him to the light of Christ.
As with Paul, so it is with all God's children.
Thank God.