okay, however, repentance is a key toward salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."" NASV. I would agree with you that God is working through the whole experience. Jesus also said in John 6:44 "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up on the last day." This tells me that the Lord is at work drawing the person to himself and it is not something that the person is capable of by their own wisdom or insight. This is a part of the depravity of man. That by our own insight we would not be able to come to Him without His help.
The message is one of reconciliation. All humans are in rebellion to God's kingdom. They will never choose to repent on their own. God must bring them to repentance by first saving them out of their rebellion and making them alive in Christ. At that point the former rebel is capable of repenting and saying "I am sorry." S/he has to know how rebellious s/he has been. One cannot know if God has not quickened him/her.
Salvation is all God's work. Repentance is a reaction and response to God's saving work. Faith is a reaction and response to God's saving work.
The Bible says no one seeks God, not even one. Therefore, no one willfully repents by their own will power. To the contrary, they consider salvation utterly foolish.
Romans 3:7-27
[7]“But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?”
[8]And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
[9]Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.
[10]As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— *** not even one.
[11]No one is truly wise; *** no one is seeking God.
[12]All have turned away; *** all have become useless. No one does good, *** not a single one.”
[13]“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. *** Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” ***
[14]“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
[15]“They rush to commit murder. ***
[16]Destruction and misery always follow them.
[17]They don’t know where to find peace.” ***
[18]“They have no fear of God at all.”
[19]Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.
[20]For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
[21]But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.
[22]We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
[23]For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
[24]Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
[25]For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
[26]for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
[27]Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.