We are saved by grace through faith. Our role is to believe, and God’s role is to supply us the grace to live the Christian life.
Faith is not just believing but also acting on Gods Word. James says that faith without works is dead. But he was not talking about works of righteousness but work from faith.
When we try to obey the law by our selves without Christ, it’s called work of the law. When we believe in the work of Christ and do everything out of faith in Christ it is called work of faith.
Our belief must be accompanied with our action to make our faith alive. For example a person who believes that Jesus has healed him, no matter how much he believes in his heart, unless he confess it with his mouth and exercise his faith by acting against his sickness or disease, that faith will not work.
The other way of describing work of faith is that we are working OUT what had been worked IN us. For example we did not create a muscle in our body, it happened by divine grace. But unless we work out our muscles, that muscle will not grow. It remains dormant and weak. In the same way faith unless we work it out remains dormant and not beneficial. That’s why Jesus says “Not every one who says to me Lord Lord will enter Gods Kingdom, but he who DOES my will”. The DOES He is talking about is work born of faith in Him, not of the law.
So there is two types of works. Not all works are of the law. God does not condemn all works. Works of faith are necessary to make our faith alive.
We have a role to play and God has already played his role. He is waiting for us to believe and receive by acting upon Gods Word.