When we put the spotlight on faith alone we can miss the simplicity of how and where and why works fits perfectly in the plan of God with faith so that faith without works is indeed dead. Years back I preached a sermon on Faith, Hope & Love being recognized as Work, Labor & Endurance...
New International Version
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Thes.1:3
When the Holy Spirit inspires us to get involved in doing a good work that we were called to before the world began, it is because He is resident in us and we are called to get involved in supporting the church and/or helping in the community.
However, after a time we realize it takes love to keep at that work for it becomes a labor of love.
We can find that the challenge to continue in this labor of love calls for endurance and others will fall away giving us an extra workload, and so at each level we go deeper into the cost to keep up our good work that we began with enthusiasm in faith, but now the gloss is long gone and it requires endurance and taking up the cross which in turn drives us into the hope we are called to when our works turn out to be costly and or thankless.
Faith saves without works, but faith without works is not a growing, fruitful faith and in that respect it is dead or non productive. Thus Peter reminds us to add to our faith...
3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
a make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,
11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2Pet.1
Lots of babies in Christ have never been taught that Faith, Hope & Love is worked out in Work, Labor & Endurance and that faith needs to be added to, not for us to be saved, but to grow strong in God and lead a fruitful life and to prevent us from stumbling.
This is the obedience we are called to in faith with works.
So called "Christian" cults twist this into faith plus works that save like the Mormons or the JW's or Roman Catholics.
All other false religions say that faith plus works brings us to God or Nirvana or heaven.
Where Christianity stands apart for all other religions and faiths is that we are saved by Christ's works alone and none of our works to the extent saving faith has nothing whatsoever to do with our works.
Amplified Bible
For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God. Eph.2
The last thing to boast of as deserving of salvation is faith plus our works...
22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matt.7
The thief on the cross exhibited faith plus works...
28They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
29Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” Jn.6