Before regeneration, man is dead to God friend. His mind is blinded and darkened which contains the intellect. Eph 4:18
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Also see that word ignorance ?
"blindness of their heart".
= "unbelief".
IN comes the Preacher. He gives them the Gospel. = THEIR..."FAITH....comes.........>BY HEARING" The Word.
God accepts THEIR FAITH in Christ....as "faith is counted as Righteousness".
In other words, once they gave God their Faith, God accepted their Faith and esteemed it, as worthy to give them, "The GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS".
See that GIFT?
That is God's very Righteousness, being GIVEN to a BELIEVER, who has just GIVEN GOD THEIR FAITH IN CHRIST.
That is a Spiritual TRANSACTION that results in SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE for the BELIEVER, and GOD gains a born again SON, and Jesus gains a part of His BRIDE who has become a eternal part of the Body of Christ.
They have done the "work of God".
"The WORK of God, is that you BELIEVE ON JESUS, whom God Sent".
When you do that, God forgives all your sin, and gives you the new Birth. = Born again.