In the garden man had a good heart and loved God. He was only given one command, -
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Adam had the ability to obey or not obey. He chose the later!
With this choice man lost the ability to please God in any way!
Fast forward to today!
When God draws us to Him (His elect), He does so by giving us a new heart. It is softened and once again has the ability to please God. Then when we hear and believe, we place our trust in the work that He has done for us.
Therefore, when we turn to God it is because we have received a new heart – not because we were forced. Without this circumcision of the heart that would not have been possible.
Now that is grace!