Wait, wait, wait: the works are not the ones which save us.
Perhaps it's a little clearer in Paul's letter to the believers at Ephesus:
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We are not saved
BY our works, but we
are saved
FOR works that HE has prepared for us to do. The OT was also very clear: there are none that (even) seek God, no not one; ALL have sinned and fallen short; all our "righteousness" is equivalent to filthy rags. And Jesus himself said "without me, you can do NOTHING." (even literally, let alone in the meaning of "nothing significant, or of value in God's sight).
In both Romans and Ephesians one significant point of emphasis is that we cannot claim any right, or privilege, or even mercy, because of something
we have initiated and/or done.
He provided for our forgiveness, our redemption, our spiritual birth; he provides the gifts/talents/proficiencies we have; he has prepared specific good works for each of us to do to develop and use those gifts (for the benefit most often of others); he has promised the strength, the guidance, the wisdom, etc. through the Holy Spirit, to enable us to identify and accomplish those good works, for the glory of God.
All things were made by, and for, the Son of God. He is the centre, the beginning, the initiator, the means, the purpose, the objective, the goal, and the finisher (and more besides). We are invited to be participants in HIS work. We are invited to His feast, we are offered His resurrection life. But don't imagine that "He doesn't care if we refuse to participate." In the parable of the feast prepared for his friends, the Host very definitely noticed the rejection of His invitations. But he didn't go out and beat them up for that - His "judgement" was quite different, more subtle, and probably with far more impact - he invited the homeless, the poor, etc etc., and raised them up higher in "status" than those who had been invited first .