Again
your missing the point.
Paul is talking to people like you. trying to add works to the gospel of grace. He uses abraham to prove we are saved by faith apart from ANY WORK
James is talking to licentious people who have crept in, Who are hearers but not doers. Who claim to have faith, but have lied to themselves. because if they DID HAVE FAITH, They would be like abraham, And do works.
He is not contradicting paul. He agrees with paul
Paul said in eph 2 we are saved by faith. and those who are saved WILL WORK.
James is telling you and I, If we claim we have faith, but do not have the work EVERYONE SAVED BY FAITH WILL HAVE (eph 2: 10) then our faith is DEAD, NON EXISTANT/
You avoided that both James and Paul were talking about Abraham.
James said justified by works
Paul said not justified by works
How can they say opposite things when talking about Abraham?
Because they are not talking about the same kind of works. James plainly says Abraham was justified by works where Paul says Abraham was not one who worked to try and earn salvation, that is, to make his reward of debt and not of grace.
You say those that are saved WILL WORK.
That's because maintaining salvation is CONDITIONAL upon those works.
If you say "no" then you are making those works optional.
So are the works a Christian does optional or mandatory?