I'm taking a risk, and posting as a blog, one of my recent papers/discussion board entries for my Liberty University Romans class on justification with God through faith in Jesus Christ alone Hence the reason for the use of the Latin phrase, "Sola Fide," as the title.

The paper looks at the teaching of Paul on this subject in Romans 3:21-4:25 and then compares it with the often proposed conflict or contradiction of James and his writing about works in James 2:14-26.

I warn you this, is a rather long entry and is an acedemic paper and therefore may be somewhat dry, wordy, and deep. None the less, I feel it might be of interest to someone and could make for a great study. I may even develop it into a sermon sometime. (Look out FBC, you'll have to drink lots of coffee for that one!) It's definitely an important subject and doctrine which gets perverted or neglected far too much. 

I hope you enjoy the paper:

         In Romans 3:21, Paul states his all important purpose and theme for the entire letter of Romans. "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it."(ESV)

His thesis is to contrast ("But now...) the prevailing belief of the Jewish Christian leaders of the day,  which was especially common  in Rome due to the Jewish Christians there feeling inferior to the growing Gentile population in the Roman church. That belief was that although Jesus was recognized to be the Messiah, the O.T. law was still vitally important for complete salvation and favor before God.

            Paul therefore, in 3:21, states that his purpose is to proclaim, correct and convince all in the church that justification before God was completed and only possible in Jesus. This purpose is found in the first part of verse 21, "the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law." That his cry, his announcement for all to hear, and it is on that statement and truth that he builds his arguments and further statements through the rest of the surrounding passage and theme.
      
            For the next phase of Paul's arguments or apologetics for the exclusiveness and supremacy of Christ and His all sufficient work, he turns back somewhat to his opening reasoning and statement regarding the law in verse 21. Notice how he begins his thought in what we today know as verse 27 and 28. "What becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."  Basically, Paul is saying that the righteousness that God expects is actually given to men, and it is given or gained apart from them keeping the law. Rather, it is manifested or presented through Jesus Christ alone.
    
            As a further example of the exclusiveness of faith (in Jesus and His work on the cross) as opposed to works of the law for justification, Paul turns to "father Abraham" who even above the revered Moses was the greatest national hero and figure for the Jewish people.

            Indeed, the example of Abraham's being justified and receiving his righteousness through his faith in God and His promises, was so great that all of chapter 4 refers to Abraham and his justification completely apart from any works on his part. Paul wraps up the entire example of Abraham and the overall passage, connecting all the arguments and points; by what he says in verses 20-25 of Romans 4. "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was 'counted to him as righteousness.' But the words 'it was counted to him' were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."

            It is clear than that from the thesis statement by Paul in 3:21, to his closing statements in 4:20-25 that he is adamantly stating there is no way for works to be counted as righteousness, and that works have no intrinsic value that could be put toward  achieving righteousness. Faith in the person and finished work of Jesus for justification and righteousness is the only thing that offers any merit and is the only thing really worthwhile to pursue.

            Through the centuries scholars and laypersons alike have had trouble with the apparent contradiction or tension between Paul's statements in Romans 3:21-4:25, (especially with his closing arguments in chapter 4) and that of James 2:14-26.  The tension has been felt so much that Luther even separated (along with Hebrews, Jude, and Revelation) James away from the category he called the "chief epistles," In his Bible of 1522.  Though he considered James a "good book," he did not think it should be held on the same level of the other books of scripture.

( http://www.bible-researcher.com/antilegomena.html)

            Perhaps on the un-studied surface alone, when one looks at James 2:14-26, they could come away with an opinion that James is elevating works or deeds above faith itself, or that he is arguing for its absolute necessity, much in the way Paul did for faith alone. Though this passage is popularly interpreted in this way (especially by critics of the belief of the inerrant and complete unified aspect of scripture), and is often seen at odds as it were with Romans, I suggest that is an erroneous view or interpretation to come away with.

            James is in no way saying that works are elevated above faith alone.
What he is saying is that it is useless and contradictory to boast or proclaim about one's faith and salvation without having deeds, or a lifestyle that backs that claim up, or which is in harmony with the results or evidences of a life which possesses justification through faith in Christ alone. John Piper answers this dilemma quite well. Note his thoughts on the matter.

             "So the key question here is: Does James aim to refute the doctrine of Paul that justification is by faith alone, which would mean there is a massive contradiction in the Bible? Or does James aim to refute an abuse of Paul's teaching and bring a corrective for the churches he was writing to? I want to try to show you that James is not contradicting Paul here but teaching something compatible with Paul's teaching and correcting a misuse of Paul's teaching. Look at Galatians 5:6, a crucial text in seeing Paul and James in harmony with each other. 'For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision means anything, but faith working through love.'

            So when Paul dealt with the abuse of his doctrine of justification by faith alone, he said: It's not added works like circumcision that will win God's favor. What then? It is "faith working through love." Notice very carefully what he says. What counts with God? "Faith." But what kind of faith? Faith that "works through love." He does not say that what counts with God is "faith" plus a layer of loving works added to faith. He says that what counts with God is the kind of faith that by its nature produces love. But it is faith that gives us our right standing with God. The love that comes from it only shows that it is, in fact, real living, justifying faith.

            Now that, I think, is what James was trying to get across to his churches. Loveless faith is absolutely useless; and anybody that comes along and says ‘We are justified by faith alone, and so you don't have to be a loving person to go to heaven’ is not telling the truth." (http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByScripture/13/1085_Does_James_Contradict_Paul/)

             I think Dr. Piper very wisely and accurately summarizes and provides excellent reasons for dismissing a supposed contradiction by James compared to the teaching of Paul and justification by faith in Christ alone. James in a desire and need to address and correct the exaggerations and mis-interpretations of Paul's statements very passionately and dominantly wrote about the importance of works and evidences in a believer’s life in terms of salvation. This was not to say works was what justified a person. No, he was merely stating that it was an evidence of the justification which is received as Paul said, through faith in Christ. Therefore, I believe it is accurate to say that James and Romans, as well as the men who wrote them, are actually companions one to the other, not opponents.