This faith , though prompted by the will, is an act of the intellect. Though necessary for salvation, it is not sufficient. Luther, however, called James epistle an epistle of straw . Faith is the root, the necessary beginning. Hope is the stem, the energy that makes the plant grow.
Love is the fruit, the flower, the visible product, the bottom line.
That is clearly the biblical view, and when Protestants and Catholics who know and believe the Bible discuss the issue sincerely, it is amazing how quickly and easily they come to understand and agree with each other on this, the fundamental divisive issue. Try it some time with your Protestant friend. But many Catholics to this day have not learned the Catholic and biblical doctrine. They think we are saved by good intentions or being nice or sincere or trying a little harder or doing a sufficient number of good deeds. The vast majority of them simply do not know the right answer to this, the most important of all questions, the very essence of Christianity.