Rom 6:22,23  "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Our Pastor had a good discussion on the connection between good works and faith today. The question of what we owe to others is relatively simple-to offer grace and forgiveness. It has been freely given to us and in no way can we earn God's love and forgiveness-it is a free gift. The question though is what do we owe God, not as a wage but as to honor, glory and the "obedience of faith"-sanctification-purity-cleansing, this is all a matter of living by faith. This is the phrase used by Paul at the beginning and end of this letter to the Romans. "Obedience of faith" do you catch the interaction between faith and works?
Now in metaphor being faithful in marriage is likened to our being under the law. Law is there to protect and to serve. Law breakers should understand the sense of severity in punishment. In relation to marriage in the sense of reflecting the relationship of God to His people, divorce or even separation is stepping outside of the safety of covenant into the severe punishment of disobedience. Often that punishment is not from outside ourselves but  from the direct consequence of living in sin-a sinful life, sinful choices,entrap us in disgrace and ruin. 
The grace of staying in the marriage, being gracious and forgiving wrong, is what the vows of marriage are all about. No marriage is perfect or without relational difficulties, but the binding of that vow of love-if taken seriously, will carry a couple by grace through sickness and health, wealth and want. Jesus said the granting of divorce by Moses was only because of our hardness of heart. 
We are so far from the Absolute Love!

Rom 7:1-3  "Or do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress." 

The question before us now as we move further into Romans 7 is, have you died? If we have died we are no longer under law. No, not that we are lawless-but through death to sin and being made alive in Christ the law is fulfilled. The perfect law of love, in which there is no fear of punishment. The slavery to sin and the severity of punishment for sin is swallowed up in the sacrifice, death, burial, resurrection and triumph of Jesus Christ, Yeshua Messiah, Isa Al Masih. He is Absolute Love. We are enabled to give ourselves fully-completely to God, in Absolute love.