We need to read James 2:21-24 in
context. In
James 2:14 we read of one who
says/claims (key word) he has faith but has
no works (to
evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a
bare profession of faith. So, when James asks, "Can
that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an
empty profession of faith/dead faith.
In
James 2:21, notice closely that James does not say that Abraham's work of offering up Isaac resulted in God accounting Abraham as righteous. The
accounting of Abraham's faith as righteousness was made in
Genesis 15:6, (also see
Romans 4:2-3)
many years before his work of offering up Isaac recorded in Genesis 22. The work of Abraham did not have some kind of intrinsic merit to account him as righteous, but it
showed or manifested the genuineness of his faith. (
James 2:18) That is the "sense" in which Abraham was "justified by works." (
James 2:21) He was
shown to be righteous.
In
James 2:22, faith made perfect or complete by works means bring to maturity, to complete like love in
1 John 4:18. It doesn't mean that Abraham was finally saved based on merits of his works after he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he
fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6.
In
James 2:23, the scripture was
fulfilled in vindicating or demonstrating that Abraham believed God and was accounted as righteous. Abraham was
accounted as righteous based on his faith (
Genesis 15:6)
not his works (
Romans 4:2-3)
long before he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22.
In James 2:24, James is not using the term "justified" to mean "accounted as righteous" but is
shown to be righteous. James is discussing the
evidence of faith (says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works -
James 2:14-18) and
not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (
Romans 4:2-3) Works bear out the justification that already came by faith.