There is a difference between 'force' and 'persuade'...
God did not 'force' Jonah to do anything. Jonah could have refused God to the point that God might have decided to just kill him. Rather, God 'persuaded' Jonah to do His will.
To 'repent' -
in biblical terms - is to "turn
away from sin and the world -
to God"; it does
not mean "ask forgiveness for / of sins", as we like to use the word in modern parlance. It is the one-time "original"
decision that we make to follow God. It is a necessary
requirement of salvation. The thing itself is not salvation. It accomplishes all of the following "at the point of decision":
~ We acknowledge God as Supreme and ourself as inferior to God.
~ We acknowledge God as 'right' and ourself as 'wrong' ( in His eyes ).
~ We determine to no longer "continue" in the ways of sin and the world.
~ We determine to "continue" in the ways of God - to "follow after Him"...
It is a 'decision' of the mind and an 'act' of the heart.
If our 'repentance' is
real ( if we are
sincere ), then God - "knowing our heart" - saves us.
The Bible indicates that we can only make this decision if-when-and-as God draws us to Him.
The Bible also indicates that at-some-point-in-our-lives -
at least once - God gives us this opportunity.
That is to say -- no one dies lost without having had at least one opportunity to "choose God"...
To "accept Christ" is to:
~ Acknowledge that God is Who He says He is.
~ Acknowledge that we are who-and-what God says we are.
~ Acknowledge that He is Holy and Righteous, and that we have sinned against Him.
~ Acknowledge that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, and that He died for our sins that we might live.
~ Believe "upon" the
Word of God and the
Work of Jesus Christ to save us.
This is to say -- believe that Jesus died our sacrifice, was buried, and rose from the grave victorious.
~ Accept the "free gift" of salvation from God, because of what Jesus did for us.
To "reject Christ" is to reject God altogether. (
The Bible says that if we reject the Son, we reject the Father, also. )
Knowing that we need to "get right with Him" because "it is the right thing to do" is not salvation;
that comes from - and, is 'evidence' of - Him "drawing" us to Him. It is by / under the 'conviction' / 'persuasion' of the Holy Spirit of God - as He "draws" us to Him - that we 'decide' to follow Him. The actual decision itself only takes a moment. It is at that moment that we "give ourselves over to God" in 'acceptance' of Him. And, it is at that moment that He 'seals' us and 'saves' us.
'repentance' - then - 'salvation' - then - 'spiritual' growth
We "ask forgiveness for / of sins" as / when / after we realize we have failed Him. This is strictly about 'restoring' our relationship with Him -- 'salvation' having already been accomplished.