It's never meaning that faith is a condition we must act in order to get Justified before God, cause that overthrows Justification before God based solely upon the Person and Work of Jesus Christ , what He did for the Justified. Then it becomes justification by our works, a false gospel!
You see if those Christ died for are not Justified before God before they believe, and not until they believe, then their act of faith becomes their Justification before God, and not Christ alone, which is error indeed !
If our faith is our righteousness/justification, then we are justified before God by our own righteousness, which is of the law, and not the righteousness of Christ Phil 3:9
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
If you say my Faith makes me just or righteous before God, then you shall be found justified by your own righteousness !