Uh - no. God gives the grace first (typically, by means of the Sacraments), and then we are made able to do good works, because of the grace from God that is working in us. (Grace is not “imputed” to us, though, and God does not pretend to Himself that our sins are actually good works, as I have seen some Protestants teach.)
That’s what I said? God does give grace first & by that grace through faith we are saved.
The idea that grace is given through a sacramental regime is just erroneous. Grace is given by God before we can engage in religion (of any denominational sort) with a sincere heart. Prior to regeneration by grace we are spiritually discerned, unable to seek God or do anything pleasing to Him that might win His favor.
Even the idea that grace is sustained in such a way is not exactly right … although it’s not exactly wrong either. Obviously worship, fellowship, participating in the Eucharist, tithing, charity, etc. are all good things. However, these things flow from grace – they are not responsible for either acquiring it or sustaining it.
Here’s where we truly differ. You think all aspects of God’s grace are universal. That all people in the world are given an equal opportunity at salvation by God. This idea is in accord with the notion of divine justice. In other words to be otherwise we might think it’s unfair. Even Augustine coined predestination the “horrible decree.”
However, this is neither what Scripture reveals nor what human history reveals. Paul tells us we can only believe if we hear, and only hear if preached to (Romans 10:14). Obviously not all people have heard or have been preached to so at least this aspect of grace is not afforded to all people.
The human condition is brutish in reality. Some are born into a tribe that practices cannibalism. I remember in an undergraduate sociology class learning about tribes in this world whose rite of initiation into manhood entails a boy being sexually violated by other men in his tribe – which happened at something like 13 years old.
Some among us here in America are born into horrible circumstances that plunges them into a life of addiction and hopelessness; where they never come into contact with the truth. Other times such circumstances drive men toward the truth.
Some were born in rural China where there is no church, no evangelists, and no chance for becoming Christian.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son (John 3:18).
Here we see that not only are unbelievers condemned, but condemned “already” (a past tense action); but what about those who had no opportunity to be saved? There exists no disclaimer in Scripture indicating that those who haven’t heard the word will still be grafted into the body of Christ. To the contrary we are told:
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves (Ephesians 1:4-6).
When Scripture talks about the free gift it is generally misunderstood. For some reason many equate free with universal, when its presentation is made in no such way. Rather it is free, unconditional, and irresistible to the elect alone.
This country was founded largely on greed & selfish ambition… you don’t know history…