Abraham was justified by faith, but then in james it straight out says "abraham was justified by works" James 2:21. So it contradicts. In my view they are both true, in your view James 2:21 contradicts Romans 4:1-2. In my view one came after the other, in your view you have a bible contradiction. So there is that issue. Lets talk about that. Furthermore yes, long term eternal salvation IS currently by faith, but it was not always that way. For instance prior to Jesus dying, animals had to be sacrificed to litarally atone for sin, again that is why they had a "day of atonement." I will provide a long passage I read today lower on that. They were allowed the opportunity to receive christ when he decended into hell to preach to those in paradise, but that was later.
Numbers 15:22-26
‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses— all that the Lord has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day the Lord gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— then it will be, if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to the Lord , with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering.
So the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them, for it was unintentional; they shall bring their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord , and their sin offering before the Lord , for their unintended sin.
It shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who dwells among them, because all the people did it unintentionally.
Numbers 15:22-26
again I want you to see the words "atonement, and forgiven"