NO, the reason for saying it that way is because it is the TRUTH. SALVATION come the Moment you genuinely believe in JESUS trusting HIM totally. BEFORE ANY WORKS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED. Obedience is a PART OF LOVE, not Salvation.
Just the act of believing is a good work. And there is good work that is done before a person believes. One has to be in a position to hear or read the Word of God. Then they have to think about it and maybe even pray about it, or maybe even some investigation with a good active Christian. All of these activities involves good works. Hearing or reading, thinking about it, praying about it, investigating it, and finally believing it. All good works. So as you see there have been some might good works before a person even gets to belief.
You may say that all I said is heresy, because it is God that provides all of that work to get a person ready for a belief in Him. But I say it is a 2-way street. God, through the Holy Spirit does put into the heart of a person who is drawn to Him. But ultimately it is the person that makes the decision to do something about the way they feel about what they have heard or read. God will not force a person to heaven. Neither will God leave a person out of heaven.
Calvinist Christian believe that God is in complete control of the situation. If God wishes someone to believe then He provides the way for them to believe. If God wishes them not to believe then He does not provide a way. I do not believe that God acts in this manner, because that means God chooses who goes to heaven and the undescribable, incredible beautiful life with God and His Son Jesus Christ for eternity. But God also chooses who goes to hell, and the undescribable, incredible horror or life with satan for eternity. I cannot believe that God acts unilaterally in this manner.
Therefore God does draw people to Him and His Son, but a person has to respond to the draw and start their investigation of His Son Jesus Christ in order to believe. Many that are drawn, eventually to let it go for many, many reasons. Many, however, do feel the draw and start on a path to a glorious future. That process is a good work, and part of the salvation process.
Through God, they come to the Son and eventually believe. They are saved, and are born-again by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and water baptized as a sign to the whole world. They are now a new person in Christ, ready to be engaged in the work of the Lord, that he before ordained them that they should walk in these good works for their betterment, and the beterment of our brethren, and bring much fruit into the KOG.