The contradicting James

I realize that it is a little late to discuss Romans, as we talked about it previously but something has been intriguing me. I encounter rather often those who say that James and Paul did not agree on issues of faith and works. It would seem in a precursory reading of the two authors that a conflict does in fact occur. However upon closer inspection of such verses as are found in Romans chapter five it is clear that Paul himself held that works were important to the faith. By no means did he intend for works to become the foundation upon which salvation was recieved but instead saw it as a natural outgrowth of his faith. I have long felt, and now it has been confirmed, that the works that we see in our lives are important because of what they show off, but showing them off does not make one more spiritual.

Kenneth