You will encounter innumerable counter scriptures, my friend.
And please be aware, that to say that grace cost something is unbiblical. What does it cost us? Nothing. If we work for it, or if it cost us something, it is no more grace, as Paul teaches us in Romans.
Now, I speak this to all:
Our faith, repentance, and good works are us working out our salvation in the sense that we are striving to enter into the narrow gate of true love and communion with God. We are constantly wrestling against the principalities and powers of darkness, which stem from the enemy and our own sinful habits. This is the true struggle of our faith. God does not withhold grace from the humble repentant sinner who seeks salvation in Christ. But when Christ returns, will He find faith on the earth? Will He find those who seek the kingdom and His righteousness? Or will He find us seeking to indulge our sins, beating our fellow servants with criticisms and unrighteous judgments and condemnations, attacking them with hateful words and ruthlessness in our hearts? Will God save someone who chooses Satan over Christ? No. Will He save someone who is unforgiving and shows no mercy to others? No.
Many will say, 'True Christians don't do these evil things!'
You speak truly! Nevertheless, are you yourself unaware of your countless sins before God, and do you still deem yourself a true Christian who possesses evidence of true faith by your works? What righteous works will you bring forth as evidence of your faith? Why do you overlook the far more vile sins that make your good works of no value? Now do you see that we are truly at the mercy of God?
This does not avert us from doing good works and having faith, but let us never think that we have sufficient grounds for assuming our salvation is secure since we cannot even prove ourselves true Christians! And until we recognize ourselves as the chief of sinners like the blessed apostle Paul, we should tremble at the thought of standing before God, being so presumptuous in our pride that salvation is assured to us. It is impossible that someone who deems the self a chief of sinners, truthfully, to consider himself to be guaranteed anything good, especially salvation. Thus, he ceaselessly cries out to God with godly sorrow over his continuous offenses against Christ and all creation, perpetually repenting and seeking to live more like Christ so that he will never be separated from the bridegroom he yearns to be with for eternity. The chief of sinners does not expect eternal life to be given to him; he hopes for salvation and he seeks it through many tears, prayers, and repentance in his utter humility, for he who humbles himself shall be exalted.