In the New Testament, whenever God's economy is mentioned, its application is always on the positive side for the heading up of all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10), for the ministering of the unsearchable riches of Christ to God's chosen people for the producing of the church (Eph. 3:8-10), and for the unique teaching of the New Testament, the stress and the center of which are Christ, the church as the organic Body of Christ, and the New Jerusalem as the consummation of God's eternal economy (1 Tim. 1:3-4).
In this sense, James is very much devoid of God's eternal purpose and His ultimate goal.
James does not say a word concerning the cross of Christ, but the New Testament teaching strongly emphasizes the cross of Christ.
The Lord said that anyone who wants to follow Him should deny himself (his soul) and take up his cross, indicating that the self or the soul of the Lord's followers should be denied by being crucified with Him that they could live not by themselves but by Christ as their life (Matt. 16:24-25).
Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me," indicating that the old "I" of the believers has been crucified, crossed out; in the Christian life it should no longer be their old crucified "I" that lives but Christ who lives in them (Gal. 2:20).