No I interpret justified by works to mean what James, so plainly says it means, Abraham was justified when he obeyed God by offering his son Issac on the altar, just exactly as God commanded him to do.
Was not Abraham our father justified by works,
when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Likewise this same principle of obedience was demonstrated when Abraham obeyed God and was justified when got out from his fathers house and left his old life to follow the Lord, typtifying for us the obedience of faith concerning the Gospel.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” Galatians 3:8
Notice it says “by faith” here in verse 8.
By faith involves his action of obedience to God’s command to get out and go.
Hebrews 11:8 says of this same incident that
by faith Abraham obeyed, when he was called to go out.
God gave Abraham a promise, and a condition To receiving the promise is the obedience of faith.
Genesis 12 -
Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, Genesis 12:1-4
The command -
Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
The promise of the gift -
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
The obedience to the command -
So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him,
The Gospel -
Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
Turn to the Lord Jesus, by turning from your old life with Satan as your Lord.
The way a person obeys this command to repent, demonstrating that they believe this Gospel, is to confess Jesus as Lord.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:10
- with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
This is the Gospel that Jesus sent His Apostles to preach.
Example -
15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order
to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Acts 26:15-18
Repent is about being transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God.
It's about changing who you serve, as your Lord.