What is the protestant apologetic for James' explicit statement that we are justified by works? James 2:24, RSVC2E: You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.


Many times I've heard Protestants claim that James isn't really saying what he appears to be saying here. They will say something along the lines of "James isn't saying that we are justified by works, he is saying that works are the sign and fruit of faith. If you have faith, you will naturally do works"

I have no problem with saying that works are the fruit of faith and that if you have faith you will naturally do works, however that is not what this verse is saying. This verse very explicitly says that we are justified by works. That is, our works affect our justification in some way. My understanding of Catholic teaching is that we are supposed to just take the verse at face value and say that we can increase and decrease our justification via our good and bad works. In this view "Justification" is not a binary attribute which you either have or don't have, but instead a quantitative property which everyone has and which can increase or decrease as time goes by, such that someone can have more justification than someone else (and be rewarded in heaven appropriately).

What is the protestant explanation for this verse, without ignoring it or handwaving it away? Obviously works do justify us according to James 2:24, so in what sense?
According to the New Bible Dictionary, 2nd Ed., "Justifiction" entry, Paul used justify as a technical term, but James used it in a general sense of being vindicated, or proved genuine and right with God and man (p. 649). 


  "James quotes Gn. 15:6 for the same purpose as Paul does -- to show
  that it was faith that secured Abraham's acceptance. But now, he
  argues, this statement was 'fulfilled' (confirmed, shown to be true,
  and brought to it appointed completion by events) 30 years later, when
  'Abraham (was) justfied by works when he offered his son Isaac upon
  the altar' (v 21). By this his faith was 'made perfect', i.e. brought
  to due expression in appropriate actions; thus he was shown to be a
  true believer" (p. 649).


Paul would have agreed with James when he wrote, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). There should be a real change of life when believing that you are a sinner before God and have repented from it. 

John echoes this point when he writes, "Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous" (1 John 3:7). Righteous is as righteous does. These are acting out what God has called them to be. 

The children of God have been declared righteous and justified when they believed in Christ. But we can tell by their behavior afterward which ones took their faith seriously, no? This is what James seems to be saying. Those who are taking their faith seriously by their works are doing what Peter wrote, "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things [the fruitful works of vv. 5-8] you will never stumble" (2 Peter 1:10).