Concerning New Covenant Salvation, Works and the Apostle James’ confusing admonition…

James 2.26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Christian explanation,

Faith (noun) (belief – trust) that is true, confessed and sincerely placed in Messiah Jesus as our Lord engendering New Covenant relationship with the Father is not “dead” but alive, active, through the indwelling Holy Spirit and the veracity, reality, of this active faith is the production of divine fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) via the anointing and leadership of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Saving faith initiates behavior (fruit) that is pleasing to the Father (John 15:8) but behavior does not initiate New Covenant relationship; all things in their divine order – faith (noun) first then obedience that pleases the Father because that obedience is the resultant of the indwelling Holy Spirit who is ONLY given to those who have “believed” by faith that Jesus is Messiah (Ephesians 1:13-14).

You cannot put the cart before the horse and expect results. Faith first…obedience follows; otherwise, our work is interpreted as a “filthy garment” in Elohim’s nose (Isaiah 64:6) and our Lord Jesus will declare “Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you” if you seek the Kingdom by your own efforts and deny the work performed for you by Messiah at Golgotha (Matthew 7:21-23).

Relationship FIRST by faith (noun) in the Son, Jesus our Messiah – righteous behavior follows via the anointing of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16; Ezekiel 36:27).