How about trying to get inside the New Testament writers’ minds. They were Hebrews, not hellenistic theorists. A Hebrew would not contemplate a faith that was simply a matter of assent. Their thought patterns were holistic. To “believe” would mean to put one’s entire weight on the object of belief, as evidenced by the corresponding verbal and physical manifestations.
Poor Paul, he was trying to put hebraic thoughts into hellenistic categories, and the western world thought by this that he really did mean to break the gospel into tiny pieces.
Paul was inspired by God when he presented the Word to us.
If by "put their entire weight," you mean: "fulfill the law perfectly," Paul very specifically disputes the Jewish understanding of salvation by declaring that the unrighteous are justified and have their sins forgiven them through no obedience or merit of their own, but by faith only.
GOD sees the inward parts and has a view of all of time, anytime. He needs no works by us ... butwe need the works to be raised up in the way that we should go as His newborns.
When Paul instructed to 'work out your own salvation', he was not saying work to be saved, he was saying that with fear and trembling work/behave as directed by GOD, because it is GOD Who is in you doing the changing as you yield to His Holy Spirit leadership. James says he will show his saved status/the degree of his belief/ his faith through the changes taking place, the works done with God in him.
God has all of time, so he could birth individuals from above and go from one to the next, then in some distant epoch change each one into the image He desires for them. But that is not how He is building the Body of Christ, so ONLY those who will accept the Holy Spirit changing their 'want to', as evidenced by their behaviors, ARE the redeemed from the sin nature of Adam's descendants.
When reading James's comments on faith and works, try substituting 'belief' where he is translated as using the word faith. Belief without works, without the changes, is dead belief not transforming belief. James will show his belief with his transforming works. ... James didn't even believe Jesus was The Christ until after the resurrection! He shows how his belief changed by the works of his life thereafter. ... It is said that the knees of James looked like camel knees because he spent so much of his time on his knees.