Eph 2: 8,9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
None of the apostles other than condemned works based salvation as spurious. Doing good things for people may happen as a sign of your faith; but, it does zero to save you or to aid in salvation. This is the essence of the Gospel. Catholicism Curses and damns to hell anyone who would believe this (Council of Trent and Vatican II). Catholicism has another Christ, another salvation and is a cult by definition.
It is a religion. It just isn't Christian.