An act of works?

Is receiving a gift an act of works salvation? Does it depend on you? What about in John 3 where Jesus talks about rejecting Him? In RC Sproul's article, he does what I've seen others do, which is to equate "believing" as an act of works. Sproul tells the story of a conversation (quoted below) where he argues him into admitting that he is a Christian because he chose to become one as opposed to his friend who is not. For Sproul, this is works righteousness (and Pelagianism) -- his friend believes "chose" to be a Christian, therefore, he is trusting in his own work for salvation. I wonder if choosing is the right word. In the case of Sproul's friend, he said, "OK! I'll say it. I'm a Christian because I did the right thing, I made the right response, and my friend didn't." John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (ESV) Jesus uses a different word. Jesus uses the word believe. Is belief and choosing or "making a right response" the same thing? Something just doesn't ring consistent about that argument. There is something about belief that we don't choose to do Is Jesus advocating for works righteousness when he says that whoever believes in him should have eternal life? Did we earn eternal life by believing? In my story, the message of Christ was put in front of me, it appeared as truth. The truth was readily obvious. And for me it was compelling. When I understood it I just knew it was true. I don't feel I chose it. I did make a public profession of faith, going forward for an altar call and praying to receive Christ, but the belief was before that. I suppose I could have denied or avoided or rejected it. But truth is a funny thing. When it's there transparent in front of you, it's very difficult to deny and walk away from. I don't feel I earned my salvation. It was the free gift of God to me. __________________________________________ SPROUL WRITES ... I had a discussion with some folks in Grand Rapids, Michigan, recently. I was speaking on sola gratia, and one fellow was upset. He said, "Are you trying to tell me that in the final analysis it's God who either does or doesn't sovereignly regenerate a heart?" And I said, "Yes;" and he was very upset about that. I said, "Let me ask you this: are you a Christian?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Do you have friends who aren't Christians?" He said, "Well, of course." I said, "Why are you a Christian and your friends aren't? Is it because you're more righteous than they are?" He wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to say, "Of course it's because I'm more righteous. I did the right thing and my friend didn't." He knew where I was going with that question. And he said, "Oh, no, no, no." I said, "Tell me why. Is it because you are smarter than your friend?" And he said, "No." But he would not agree that the final, decisive issue was the grace of God. He wouldn't come to that. And after we discussed this for fifteen minutes, he said, "OK! I'll say it. I'm a Christian because I did the right thing, I made the right response, and my friend didn't." What was this person trusting in for his salvation? Not in his works in general, but in the one work that he performed. And he was a Protestant, an evangelical.