James 2:20-24: 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
Yes, if works are needed to obtain salvation, they are needed to KEEP salvation. The Scriptures explicity say, as you point out, that FAITH alone in Christ alone is what saves us. A totally paralyzed person can be saved—without moving a muscle to do a “work” towards that end. James points out that such faith works itself out in some manner, however, beginning with a cleansed, changed heart. I have two very close friends who believe that a person can lose his/her salvation. Imagine walking on eggshells every minute of every day, wondering if you have salvation or not.
Romans 3:20 -
20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:28 -
28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
Galatians 2:21 -
21"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."
Ephesians 2:8 & 9 -
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Titus 3:5 -
5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Keeping the commandments is important, (Eph. 2:10; John 14:15). They are the proof of salvation not the means of it.
Christ specifically said that he who does not keep the commandments the truth (or faith) is not in him:
John 14:21 - " He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."
John explains in I John 2:4 that those who DON'T keep the commandments aren't really in the faith - "The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;"
Once you add keeping the commandments (faith + works) as a means of justification (rather than their intended function of sanctification) you've just slapped Christ in the face and told Him his shed blood wasn't good enough.
True genuing saving faith will ALWAYS be accompanied by 'works' or keeping the commandments (James 2:18.... I will show you my faith by my works). That section doesn't mean we are 'saved' by keeping the commandments, it means we prove we are not saved if we don't!
Don't confuse sanctification with justification. The verses I posted above (along with the entire books of Ephesians, Galatians and Romans) prove your belief that its not faith alone that justifies to be error. Either that or you're going to have to get a pair of scissors and start cutting out huge hunks of Scripture.
James 2 is speaking of Abraham SHOWING he was saved.
That’s because we were born-gain to good works. Genuine salvation, a supernatural transformation produces genuine good works. Those genuine good works are evidence of genuine salvation and justify the claim that we have been born-again. Good works cannot produce salvation, nor keep us saved. “It is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyman should boast.”