James 2:23

... and the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.

James here quoted exactly the same passage that Paul quoted in Romans 4:3, proving that his teaching concerned exactly the same kind of justification as that in view by Paul; it does, however, explode any possibility of "faith only" having been the grounds of that justification, even in the teachings of Paul.

And he was called the friend of God ... References to Abraham as the "friend of God" are found in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:8. Tasker's explanation of why God called Abraham his friend is this:

God did not hide from Abraham what he proposed to do (Genesis 18:17); Abraham rejoiced to see the day of the Messiah (John 8:56). Similarly ... Jesus called the apostles his "friends." "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you" (John 15:15).[52]

Even the designation of Abraham as "the friend of God" did not derive from "faith alone" on Abraham's part, being founded partially also upon his life of obedient service.