Sinners are commanded to come to God seeking salvation based not on faith, but on the imputed righteousness of Christ. Most believe faith is the God-approved substitute for righteousness. They believe God acknowledges that we cannot achieve righteousness and salvation by works, so He accepts an inadequate substitute. But they do not know and understand the Gospel and real salvation by grace alone. They do not understand real, justifying faith.
Faith is the antithesis of works.
Faith believes that Christ alone met all the conditions of salvation. Most of us were raised in Arminianism. We are all Arminians by nature because by nature we know nothing of grace. Grace has to be revealed, and it is revealed in God's Gospel. All we know by nature is salvation conditioned on the sinner.