But here's the deal: we can choose to do, or not do, those things. That's the key to the discussion of faith vs. works.
Jesus didn't say that it is sufficient to believe; when He gathers people, He says "follow me." Faith is tested; and the true test of our faith, is our willingness to "follow" -- to actually act on our faith.
To act according to our faith, is often called "an outward sign of an inward grace." But we how often do we keep that light under the bushel instead? I certainly do so a lot more often than I care to admit.
It's interesting to note how often follow appears in the Gospels, and in what context.
Jesus gives people a choice; hence, we have the disciples who choose to follow (and still fail to do so on the night He was betrayed); and by contrast we have the Rich Young Man, who wants to follow but cannot manage to make the choice.
We have Nicodemus, who hid his faith while Jesus lived; and who revealed it on the day He died.
I don’t agree with your statement that the “key to the discussion...” is that we can choose to follow God or not.
All would agree that no human follows Jesus 100% of the time because we are sinners. Protestants accept that and don’t believe it has an impact on a believer’s salvation, because Jesus paid the penalty for sins once and for all. Are you implying that if a person chooses a path that is not following God just once when they have been faithful all other times then they don’t have a saving faith??? If so, that would include the whole world.