If you insist that James is saying a man is MADE righteous by faith with works then you put him in direct contradiction to Paul who says you are MADE righteous by faith without works -
"unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works" (Romans 4:6). The Catholics attempted to resolve this apparent contradiction by saying Paul meant without
works of the law, not good deeds done in faith, and that Paul is really saying a man is made righteous by faith with good deeds done in faith without works of the law. And so that resolves the contradiction between James and Paul. But if that's true, that a person is MADE righteous by doing good deeds in faith, how does doing those good deeds in faith MAKE you a righteous, born again, new creation in Christ? They don't, of course.
The apparent contradiction between James and Paul is easily defused when one realizes that 'justified' has two distinct definitions. It means 1) to be made righteous, and 2) to be shown to be righteous. Faith all by itself
makes one righteous. That's Paul's argument. Works
show that you have that righteousness. That's James' argument.
In no way is either one of them saying works of any kind MAKE you a born again, transformed, new creation in Christ. God's mercy
received through faith does that ALL BY ITSELF. God did this in order that justification/salvation would be a gift, not a reward earned for righteous work completed. I mean, what righteous work can do that anyway? What work MAKES a person born again? None, of course. Only having your unrighteousness forgiven and replaced with God's righteousness can do that. That is the very thing that makes justification/salvation the gracious gift that it is.
"13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. " Luke 18:13-14