Faith in or believing on Christ is an act of man, something man does, so its by definition a work ! In scripture faith in Christ or believing in him is described as fleeing to Him for refuge
Heb 6:18
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who
have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Notice
Prov 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower:
the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
It speaks of the Name of the Lord ! As in
Joel 2:32
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever
shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Now notice the word run, very similar to the word flee, now is one saved because they runneth ? If so then that contradicts
Rom 9:16
So then it is not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
One is not saved by Mercy because they runneth or exert effort. Fleeing to the city of refuge denotes danger. Sometimes God's elect right before they rest in the Name of Christ, are by God's providence brought to an awful sensibility and alarm fr their Eternal Well Being,such as the Philippian Jailor, resulting from that frightening providence, he experienced by the Sovereignty of God, so much so that he cried out, what must I do to be saved, but this made him fit to trust in the Name of the Lord, through the Word Paul spake unto him
Acts 16:32
32
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Now was it the fleeing or running to Christ that got him saved from the penalty of his sins ? Was it his believing ? If so, then he was saved by his works, his running, which is contrary to scripture
Rom 9:16
So then it is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Notice also,not of him that willeth,or his volition. What is volition ? The word means:
a choice or decision made by the will.
That verse also condemns 99.9% of all false religions who claim to receive mercy for salvation by a choice or decision made by their freewill ! Thats a work !