Many people to not understand when Paul is speaking according to the flesh, and the Spirit.
We are saved by faith when we first confess Christ, for that is all we can do for we do not receive the Spirit until after we confess Christ, which we are in the flesh when we confess Christ, although we could not come to the truth unless God operated in our life, for no person calls Jesus the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, and no person comes to the Son unless the Father draws them.
So we are saved by faith for we were in the flesh when we confessed Christ, so none of our works could save us while we were in the flesh.
So Paul is speaking when we were in the flesh when we first confessed Christ, and believed.
But many people want to carry that belief, faith alone, throughout their walk with God, which is not right.
The Bible says out of faith, hope, and charity, love in action, charity is the greatest, and faith, and hope are not needed in heaven, but love will go on forever.
Love is greater than faith, and the Bible says faith works by love, and the Bible says it is the work of faith, for everything we think, and do, is a work, which is why Jesus said if you lust after a woman it is the same as if you did the physical act.
Charity is not selfish, not arrogant, does not think they are better than other people, which God said if you think you are something when you are nothing, you deceive your self, and what makes you to differ from another person, does not behave itself unseemly, does not think an evil thought, and does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth to abstain from sins by the Spirit, and only goes by their needs, and helps the poor and needy if possible where ever they have a need.
Love works no ill towards their neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
The Bible says that some people have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, from such turn away, ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, for they think they are alright with God despite their sins, and are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.
Which the Lord knows them that are His having this seal, for this is what seals the saints, and how they are led of the Spirit, that every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity, and awake to righteousness, but some have not the knowledge of God.
It is love alone, and everything stems from love including faith, for faith works by love.
That means if you lack love in the proper perspective as God tells us, then faith does not apply in your life, and we are saved by grace through faith, so if your faith lacks then grace lacks.
Paul said he can have all faith so that he could remove mountains, but if he did not have charity he is nothing.
And said that people that preach that God blesses with money for their wants, the prosperity Gospel, to withdraw yourselves from them, having food and clothing be content, for the love of money is the root of all evil for it neglects the poor and needy, which they have erred from the faith.
So Paul said if you do not have charity, love in action, works, then your faith does not count in your life.
James said if they do not have charity, which he pointed out caring about the poor and needy, the same as Paul, then their faith is dead.
So Paul and James say the same thing, have charity, which has to be works, love in action, or faith is dead, for the saints are no longer in the flesh where those works do not save, but in the Spirit where they have to do the works of the Spirit to be saved.
So people have been arguing over Paul and James, and they say the same thing, and why would they not say the same thing, for they are both New Testament writers, and some people will argue over Jesus and Paul.
For if they do not do those works then they do not love properly, so their faith does not count, for love is greater than faith.
And we see many that claim Christ that hold unto sin, and think they are right with God, saying they cannot abstain from sins, and sin does not affect their relationship with God.
But the Bible says that if a person hates sin, and does not want sin, by the Spirit they can abstain from sins.
But some have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, and are ever learning but never able to come to the truth, for they will not let go of the flesh but then make excuses.
John said if they do not have charity, which he pointed out caring about the poor and needy, the same as Paul and James, then the love of God does not dwell in them, for God loves people, so do not love in word, and tongue, but love in deed, works, and truth.
Love has to be done in works for it to be valid in your life, and love is greater than faith, and that is why we have to have works to have salvation.
Which we know there are millions of hypocrites claiming Christ, and holding unto sin, and think they are right with God, and enjoy worldliness, and the prosperity Gospel, which neglects the poor and needy, and God only blesses us with our needs.
Paul is speaking according to us being in the flesh when we first come to Christ so it can only be by faith that we can start to have a relationship with God, for works of the flesh cannot save us.
Then Paul is speaking according to us being spiritual after we are saved that we have to have works of love, for love is greater than faith, and without love which has to be in works then our faith dead.
Because to have faith you have to have it according to the proper perspective that God is holy, and said be holy for I am holy, and hates sin, and said sin separates us from Him, which is why love does not think an evil thought, and abstains from sin by the Spirit.
And God's kingdom is true love, so we have to have charity, works of love, to have salvation, and why people without charity have erred from the faith.
But if some people have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, and ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of of the truth, it would appear that they were not saved.
All the while they are arguing with people with their relaxed version of Christianity.