Are we justified by works or not? Are we made just in the eyes of God by something we do or not?  We are saved by grace through faith, yet not of works, lest we boast. (Eph2:8-9)  James says faith without works is dead (Jm2:17) And what of this 'through faith' that Paul is talking about?
The letter of Paul to the Ephesians is a letter to reveal a mystery that was hidden through the ages: that the Gentiles have equal access to God as the Jew: that because the Gentile has access to God, salvation cannot be by the law because the Gentile was not given the law.  Thus for Paul salvation is by grace through faith.  Performing the works of the law though they give life, do not save.

James, on the other hand, is concerned about inertia in the church.  "Just as the body without the spirit is dead, faith without works is dead also." (Jm2:26)  James gives examples of Abraham offering Isaac and Rahab helping the Israelite spies as proof that works justify our salvation.  I would like to suggest that Paul and James are talking about two very different kinds of works concerning justification.  The works of Paul are works of the flesh and of the law.  Works that are self-motivated performed by will power and the natural man.  The works that James is talking about are works of the Spirit and works of love which are neighbor or other oriented.  A person saved by grace through faith is saved by the blood of Christ and stands on the promises of God, embraces them, and confesses them.  A person saved by grace through faith like Abraham offers up the highest natural love he knows for love of God or like Rahab risks one's life for the good of God and his church.  These works are different from keeping the Ten Commandments that no one can totally keep.  My friend has said that faith without works is a contradiction.  Faith must work to be faith.  It must do something but the works that it does are works of the Spirit or works of love not works of the law.

What follows is that keeping the Sabbath or paying one's tithes are not the kind of works that justify oneself in the eyes of God.  Building an ark before it begins to rain, is.  "Building oneself up in one's faith praying in the Holy Ghost", is. (Jude20)  So does confessing the word when circumstances contradict the love of God (Abraham did not consider his body now dead or the deadness of Sarah's womb) (Rm4)

"Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of eternal life" (1Tm6:12) that fight is not by self will to keep the law but by a determination to obey God and walk in love.  The church in order to be church is saved by the blood of Jesus but also by loving as Jesus loved.  Love never fails.  Love is the only thing that does not fail.  Everything else does.  Without the Holy Spirit and love we are none of his. (Rm8:9)  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and love as he loved you and you will be justified in the eyes of God. 

Amen