Character traits are not something that are earned as the result of having first done done a certain amount of works that express that trait, but rather the only way to attain a character trait is through faith that we ought to be doers of that trait apart from our works apart from that. However, for someone to have a character trait through faith means that they are a doer of that trait through faith, so it is contradictory for someone to have a character trait apart from being a doer of that trait. For example, courageous is not something that is earned as the result of having first done a certain amount of courageous works, but rather the only way for someone to become courageous is through faith that they ought to be a doer of courageous works apart from that. However, for it is contradictory for someone to be courageous apart from being a doer of courageous works, and the same is true of righteousness and other character traits. This is why the faith by which we are declared righteous does not abolish our need to be doers of righteous works, but rather our faith upholds it (Romans 3:28-31). So Paul was saying that become righteous through faith apart from being required to have first done a certain amount of righteous works in order to earn it as a wage, but he was not saying that being righteous is apart from being doers of righteous works.Martin Luther's newfound doctrine of justification by faith was so traumatic for the reformers that they believed that anyone that opposed it was anti-Christ.
There were many Christians that believed the Gospel and justification by faith besides Luther. What made Luther stand out is that he was a Catholic monk. After Luther nailed his thesis to the door of the Catholic church there was a riot. The reformers (Protestants) versus the Catholic church. Thousands of people died. Some Christian scholars believe that the reformation was the wounding of the head of the beast in Revelation 13:3, which they believed represented the Catholic church.
The Catholic church does not believe in Justification by faith apart from the works of the law. They believe that it is the Gospel plus works. Paul said, "Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20. It appears that the Catholic doctrine of works is anti-Gospel and anti-Christ.
After Martin Luther's reformation there was another reformation, Calvinism. Both Luther and Calvin were reformers. One according to the Gospel and justification by faith, the other according to John Calvin. It appears to me that Calvin was jealous of Luther and wanted to start his own movement, called Calvinism. The doctrine of justification by faith without works is supported by scripture. The doctrine of Calvinism is not. There is no scripture that says God predestinates people to heaven or hell. Calvinism is anti-Gospel and anti-Christ.
It appears to me that any doctrine or religion that does not believe the Gospel and justification by faith is anti-Christ. John said, "Little Children, it is the last time: as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrist; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us" 1 John 2:18-19. Here is the division of Protestants and the Catholics. They went out from us, they were not of us. If you don't believe the Gospel and justification by faith you cannot be a member of John's church because you are antichrist.
The way to believe in God is by believing that we ought to be in His image, or in other words, that we ought to be doers of His character traits, so the way that we choose to live testifies about what we believe the be true of God's character. For example, by doing good works in obedience to God's law, we are testifying about God's goodness, which is why our good works bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16), and by testifying about God's goodness we are also expressing the belief that God is good, or in other words, we are believing in Him. The way to believe that God is just is by being a doer of just works in obedience to His law, the way to believe that God is holy as by following His instructions for how to be holy as He is holy, and so forth for His other character traits. Another way to put it is that we are having faith in the revealed character of God to correctly divide between right and wrong and to make our way straight rather than leaning on our own understanding of right and wrong. When someone obeys God's law, then the significance of their action is that they are expressing their faith, not that it is part of what they are required to have done first in order to earn their righteousness as the result.