Walter Marshall on the root of true obedience to God

Walter Marshall on the root of all true obedience to God:

If you want to obey God’s law (i.e., the pursuit of holiness), “Your heart has to be freely motivated to obey God’s law. . . Some people think that all you need to obey God is a free will. I agree that free will is important, but there is something deeper. They never think about the fact that no one WANTS to do good or obey God. Every human being has a heart that is totally inclined toward evil, not toward good. In your natural [fallen] state, the direction of your heart is completely toward evil. Such a “free will” as this can never free you from slavery to sin and satan, and enable you to keep God’s law! Therefore, stop debating about free will, and get to the real issue: in your natural [fallen] state, all you ever want to do is evil. So, in your natural [fallen] state, that is all you will choose to do. . . You cannot possibly keep the commandments of God if you hate them!. . . True obedience means you love to obey God!. . . The real issue is: What do you really want to do? That is why you choose to do what you do. . . You will have a “free will” all right, but the only freedom you will have is the “freedom” to serve sin! . . . In the work of the gospel, God addresses your slavery to sin. God restores you to holiness by giving you a new heart and a new spirit. He takes away your heart of stone, and gives you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26-27). He circumcises your heart to love Him with your whole heart and soul. . . . You always have the free will to choose what you want to do. Through the gospel, when God cleanses and circumcises your heart, he changes your desire for evil into a desire for good. This [regeneration] is the root of all true obedience to God (The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, pp. 26-27, 28-29).