Faith may be perfected through works, but that faith still saved before the works were part of it.
As far as James, then reconcile that with this......
Galatians 3:1-6 1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"?
If someone believes that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, there is no conflict in those passages. Only if someone believes that salvation is dependent on works does it cause a problem.
Whatever anyone adds to Jesus is the thing they are depending on for salvation because they are saying that what Jesus did wasn't enough, it takes (fill-in-the-blank). THAT thing is then what saves the person because Jesus wasn't adequate.
Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Faith works not because of the amount of it, but because of what the faith is IN. Even if someone is putting faith in their faith, that isn't going to work. It has to be faith in GOD.
****If someone believes that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, there is no conflict in those passages. Only if someone believes that salvation is dependent on works does it cause a problem.
Whatever anyone adds to Jesus is the thing they are depending on for salvation because they are saying that what Jesus did wasn’t enough, it takes (fill-in-the-blank). THAT thing is then what saves the person because Jesus wasn’t adequate.****
I think there is much confusion between the protestant and the Catholic regarding faith and works. A Catholic does not believe that “works” earns them eternal salvation. Only Jesus makes that possible and only when one believes on/in Him.
Our conflict, I think, stems from what we perceive as to what comes after that initial faith.
Quite simply one who has faith behaves in a certain way. The faithful love God and love each other as Jesus commanded.
Farther along in Galatians, St. Paul quite clearly warns what happens when one no longer lives according to the Spirit.
Gal 5:13 You, brothers and sisters, were called to enjoy freedom; I am not speak ing of that freedom which gives free rein to the desires of the flesh, but of that which makes you slaves of one another through love. 14 For the whole Law is summed up in this sentence: You shall love your neigh bor as yourself. 15 But if you bite and tear each other to pieces, be careful lest you all perish.
And...
16 Therefore I say to you: walk according to the Spirit and do not give way to the desires of the flesh! 17 For the desires of the flesh war against the spirit, and the desires of the spirit are opposed to the flesh. Both are in conflict with each other, so that you cannot do everything you would like. 18 But when you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Law.
And....
19 You know what comes from the flesh: fornication, impurity and shame lessness, 20 idol worship and sorcery, hatred, jealousy and violence, anger, ambition, division, factions, 21 and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I again say to you what I have already said: those who do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
In Gal 6, St. Paul says this...
9 Let us do good without being discouraged; in due time we shall reap the reward of our con stancy. 10 So while there is time, let us do good to all and es pecially to our family in the faith.
What does he mean by “while there is still time”?
God remains faithful, He has given us the path to salvation and will stay true to His promise that faith in Jesus is what sets us upon that path.
We must not not stray from that path and our actions, keep us on that path and perfect our faith. The more we love each other out of love for Jesus, the harder it is for us to be deceived or tempted away from His love for us.
St. Paul says in Romans....
6 He will give each one his due, according to his actions. 7 He will give everlasting life to those who seek glory, honor and immortality and PERSEVERE IN DOING GOOD. 8 But anger and vengeance will be the lot of those who do not serve truth but injustice. 9 There will be suffering and anguish for everyone committing evil, first the Jew, then the Greek. 10 But God will give glory, honor and peace to WHOEVER DOES GOOD, first the Jew then the Greek, 11 because one is not different from the other before God.