It does not get any plainer..........James, the brother of our Lord Christ Jesus, explicitly said that “a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
James 2:14-24. What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15. If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16. and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
17. Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19. You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22. You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23. and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.
24. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
As for the Apostle Paul,
Everywhere that Paul preached the message that all men, including Gentiles, are saved by grace through faith apart from the works of the Law, Judaizers were hot on his heels to proclaim that one could not be a Jew without keeping the Law and that, therefore, one could not be a Christian without keeping the Law (in the broadest Jewish sense, including, and especially so, the law of circumcision which was not included in the Mosaic Law). In Eph. 2:8-9, Paul is dealing with this very issue; he is NOT contradicting James and the nearly universal teaching of the first century Church that good works are absolutely necessary for salvation, a teaching that remained nearly universal till the 16th century! Paul is teaching that we are justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Rom_3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Rom_3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Gal_2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Gal_3:2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?
Gal_3:5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—
Gal_3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
It does not get any plainer..........Our righteous works are absolutely necessary for our Salvation!