How was Abraham saved and why didn't he need works?
Abraham was saved by faith plus nothing, because he was dealing directly with God, who looks on the heart and sees faith without works. He did not need to prove his faith to any person, since works serve to demonstrate saving faith to others, not to justify the ungodly before God.
Les explains that Abraham was saved by faith plus nothing because he didn't have to show works to anybody; he was dealing with God. God looks on the heart and sees faith without works. The apparent conflict between James and Paul is resolved by viewpoint: James looks at it from man's point of view—if there are no works, we cannot know a man has saving faith—while God looks at us as He did Abraham and sees faith without works. Les notes we don't have to do works to prove to God that we have faith, but to prove to a neighbor we better show works. He adds that we are not under a debt economy and cannot work for salvation, not one iota; verse 5 says it is to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him who justifies the ungodly.
More Questions
Why was Abraham saved by faith alone without any works?
Abraham was saved by faith plus nothing, because he had no one to show works to—he was dealing directly with God.