I almost liked your post until I read your question. Then I knew I had to quote scripture to answer it so God answers you instead of me.
James chapter 2 is a major stumbling block for works salvationists.
James 2:14-26
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
In James 2:14, we read of one who
says-claims he has faith but has
no works. Where is the evidence? This is not genuine faith, but a
dead faith. So when James asks, "Can
that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an
empty profession of faith. Works are the fruit, by product and demonstrative evidence of saving faith in Christ, but they not the actual cause of our salvation. James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to
show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine. Simple!
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
We
show our faith by our works, but we do not establish it.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Nobody is questioning the fact that the demons believe "mental assent" that "there is one God" but they
do not believe/entrust their spiritual well being to Christ; have faith/reliance upon Christ for salvation. Their trust and reliance is in Satan, as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works. I believe "mental assent" that George Washington existed and I also believe in the historical facts about George Washington, but I am not trusting in him to save my soul. See the difference? Saving belief/faith is more than just an "intellectual acknowledgment" to the existence and historical facts about Christ. Saving belief/faith is a complete trust in Christ's finished work of redemption as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation (Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8,9).
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
This is not genuine faith, but an
empty profession of faith, a dead faith. Living faith results in producing good works (Ephesians 2:5-10).
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Notice closely that James does not say that Abraham's work of offering up Isaac resulted in God's accounting Abraham as righteous. No! The accounting of Abraham's faith as righteousness was made in Genesis 15:6,
many years before his work of offering up Isaac recorded in Genesis 22. The work of Abraham did not have some kind of intrinsic merit to save his soul, but it
proved or manifested the genuineness of his faith. This is the sense in which Abraham was justified by works, "shown to be righteous."
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Made perfect or complete by works means bring to maturity, carry to the end, to complete like love in 1 John 4:18. It doesn't mean he was finally saved based on his works many years later. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he
fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
The scripture was fulfilled in vindicating or demonstrating that Abraham believed God and was accounted as righteous. Abraham was
accounted as righteous because of his faith (Genesis 15:6)
long before he offered up Isaac on the alter and demonstrated the reality of his faith in Genesis 22.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
James is not using the word "justified" here to mean "accounted as righteous" but is "shown to be righteous." James is discussing the
proof of faith
(says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works), not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God (Romans 4:2-3). Works bear out the justification that already came by faith.
In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word for justified "dikaioo" #1344 is:
1. to render righteous or such he ought to be
2. to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered
3. to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
God is said to have been
justified by those who were baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 7:29). This act pronounced or declared God to be righteous. It did not make him righteous. The basis or ground for the pronouncement was the fact that God
IS righteous. Notice that the NIV reads,
"acknowledged that God's way was right.." The ESV reads,
"they declared God just.." This is the sense in which God was justified,
"shown to be righteous".
Matthew 11:19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is
justified/vindicated/shown to be right by her deeds."
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Rahab believed in the Lord with genuine faith (Joshua 2:9-13), requested kindness (2:12), received the promise of kindness (2:14), and hung out the scarlet line (2:21), as the
demonstration of her faith. She
showed her faith in God was not a dead faith by her works, just as all true believers
show theirs.
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The comparison of the human spirit and faith converges around their modes of operation. The spirit (Greek-pneuma) may also be translated "breath." As a breathless body emits no indication of life, so fruitless faith exhibits no indication of life. The
source of the life in faith is not the works; rather, the
life in faith is the source of the works.
We are to compare spiritual with spiritual to find the whole truth, and not be satisfied with only half of it by man's own wisdom. GBU in His wisdom.
We are to properly harmonize scripture with scripture to get the whole truth. Man is saved through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8,9); yet genuine faith is shown/evidenced by works (James 2:14-26).
Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not on the merits of our works. It is through faith "in Christ alone" (and not by the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 3:24; 5:1); yet the faith that justifies is never alone (solitary, unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine (James 2:14-26). *Perfect Harmony.*
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13
1 Corinthians 2:14 - But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
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