“NOT BY WORKS” does not mean it”s not by any kind of work done by whoever, but iit iis rather NOT OF OURSELVES. Salvation is in itself a WORK, so how can it be not by works? This proves that FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD and that SALVATION IS NOT BY “FAITH ALONE”
James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
...Can anybody here claim to have been saved without HEARING and BELIEVING the gospel of our salvation(eph 1:13) thru the (foolishness) of PREACHING(1cor 1:21) by those who are in the body of Christ (the Church)(1cor ch.12)who are His fellow WORKERS(servants)? (1cor 3:9, luke 10:2)
1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Luke 10:2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Romans 10:14-17 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
CAN FAITH VOID OF WORKS SAVE US?
Matthew 25:45-46 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ THEN THEY WILL GO AWAY TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT but the righteous to eternal life.”
1 Corinthians 4:7,20 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? For the kingdom of God is NOT A MATTER OF TALK BUT OF POWER.(Ref:2tim 1:7-9, 1cor 1:18-31))