With the Old Covenant, to the Jews, the law was given to expose what sin was. God requires sinless perfection. but since man is incapable of that sinless perfection he provided the sacrificial system to cover sins.
When Christ came and died, he became the once for ALL sin sacrifice.
It is by faith... that Christ is the promised messiah, the son of God, by very nature God, and the only sacrifice ever needed. It is faith in this that sanctifies one. Jew or Gentile. If one refuses faith the only recourse is perfect works. Which is impossible.
And faith based on works is not faith, it is still works. It is believing that you can do enough to to earn your way to heaven. But not only is it arrogance in thinking we could actually earn our way, its an insult to Christ and the Father, that THEIR sacrifice wasn't enough.
Why THEIR sacrifice. Well obviously Christ suffered and died. He took the sin of everybody upon himself, which was tortourous to a Holy God.
But John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world THAT HE GAVE his only begotten son, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
In essence, belief in ones own works to get to heaven tells the Father and Christ-NOT GOOD ENOUGH-I'LL GET THERE ON MY OWN.
Now James, when saying faith without works is dead, WAS NOT teaching that faith AND works got us to heaven. Because getting to heaven can't be earned. What IT IS saying, is that if we truely have faith, our good works, the affects of Christ in our lives will naturally flow out.
Example: A man is in love with a woman. Head over heals. They're on a long walk, far away from home. She twists her ankle and cannot walk. He carries her all the way home.
Why did he carry her home? Was he working to earn her affection? Or was he working as an outflowing of his love?
The same applies to us, either we work to EARN Gods favor, or we work because we already have his favor.
BUT...if we are working to earn our way to God, do we really love him, or are we doing works to get what he can give us.
Contrarily, if we already have what he's promised, then our works are not out of our initiations, but out of our response for his love he has shown us.
Good post!