Yes, by grace alone, not by faith alone. Both our faith and our works are the result of God’s grace. And since the Bible indeed does not contradict itself, James’ explicit statement that we are not saved by faith alone shows how the Protestant interpretation of Paul is false.
But if Abraham was not justified until he offered up Abraham then you have a clear contradiction btwn James vs. Moses and Paul. See also post 270
However, there can be no contradiction if James is wholly inspired of God, and while Paul is describing what actually appropriates justification before God for the sinner, with this being the contextual issue, and in which Abraham was justified by faith, not any works, though the faith of Abraham is shown to be an obedient one. Meanwhile James is contextually dealing with whether a fruitless or fruitful believer is justified, and in which it is a faith that works which justifies (and justifies one as being a believer), and not a bare faith. The plain teaching is that James is speaking
Comments in parenthesis mine.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; [God's grace, His goodness, allows to us to be saved throughr faith. And that faith is in Christ. It is God Who has made this provision available to us]
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
[Again Paul is clearly teaching there is nothing we can do to earn or merit our salvation. It is God Who gives this to us. It is free to us.]
9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
[Paul continues to make it clear here there are no deeds good enough for salvation. This is pointing back to faith and that faith is in Christ.
IF it is not a result of works. IF it is not a result of anything we can do then it comes down to faith as Paul noted in the beginning of these verses]
10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.[A believer in Christ will produce fruit. But note: this comes about as a result of salvation; it is not the cause of salvation. You can do a million good deeds but without faith in Christ you will not be saved.]
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IF read in context the NT is clear. We come to Christ through faith/believing in Him and only Him.
Because of that we produce fruit, good works to use Paul's description but no matter how much or how little fruit we produce it does not result in our salvation.
You’re ignoring Paul’s statement that salvation is not by works and he gives the reason, so that no man should boast.
If works played a role in either attaining or maintaining our salvation, then people would have something to boast about in God’s presence and HE would not get all the glory for the work done in our lives. We’d get some for being so good or special, or whatever.