faith vs. works

Right after I became a Christian I went on a trip with some friends to Europe. It was a great time, mostly because it was led by Mr. Adamson, my 11th grade English teacher. Adamson was a great teacher and also was very friendly and approachable. Outside of teaching English he also was the staff advisor on the student newspaper at my highschool, The Green Raider, and I was known to spend many 4th periods hanging out with friends and also Adamson in the Green Raider room and also roaming the halls on "official business". While in Europe, I happened to be talking to Adamson about matters of faith and he jokingly mentioned Haile Selassie. During the course of the discussion, he said something that has stayed with me for some time. He said that people do everything in their own interest, in one way or another. I am not sure if I believe this or not, but the thought and the moment has stayed with me for a long time.
This week we will informally discuss the concept of faith and works. The bible has much to say on this topic:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

James 2

Yet the passage in James seems to conflict with what Paul says in the oft-quoted Ephesians 2:8-9:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

1. Do you think it is possible to do unselfish acts?

2. What role do you think works have in salvation, if any?

3. How should faith and works interact?

4. Is there any merit in works when a person's faith is waning or insincere?