In response to the OP (not to those who copy & paste large sections of commentaries) ‘save’ in James 2:14 means the same thing as ‘justified’ in 2:24. The difference between Paul and James is:
Paul = salvation by faith alone
James = salvation by faith PLUS works
That's not actually correct.
Galatians 5:1-6 — "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith
which worketh by love."
1 Corinthians 13:2 — "And though I have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
and have not charity (ἀγάπην — love),
I am nothing."
Ephesians 2:8-10 — "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them."
We are saved by faith, not by works. But faith that does not have the works of love is not a real faith. It is dead. People who believe they can have faith without works and just sit around believing are deceiving themselves. As James says, even the devils believe and tremble. If we aren't living a life of love, then we don't really have faith. That's why James makes his comment in the context of the works of love ...
James 2:14-17 — "What
doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked,
and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be
ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what
doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."
John says the same thing.
1 John 3:14-19 — "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not
his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love
of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels
of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him."
Please note the similarities here —
James: If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be
ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what
doth it profit?
John: But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels
of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
And this follows with Christ himself —
25:41-46 — "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did
it not to one of the least of these, ye did
it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment."
So we are saved by grace through faith. But faith that does not have the works of love is a lie. "He that loveth not
his brother abideth in death," which is the same as James, saying, "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." If we're saved by faith, and our faith is dead, then we aren't saved at all.