servitude (I like the word as long as it doesn't affect me)

Romans 6:19-23

Observe:
Key words: slave(ry), righteousness, holiness, life, death, impurity/sin
Paul contrasts the results of being a slave to sin (shame and death) with the results of being a slave to God (holiness and life). Holiness and righteousness are connected to life and sin is connected to death.

Interpret:
Paul recognizes that his analogy is not perfect - it is causes some problems to talk about our obedience to God as slavery in the same way that our obedience to sin is slavery. However, the analogy is there in that we are either obeying sin or obeying God.
Paul carries on the idea of wages vs. gift in verse 23 which echoes his language in chapter 4 where he argues that Abraham's righteousness was credited to him as a gift not as an obligation based on his works. This also furthers Paul's argument that we live by faith and that life is a gift from God; not based on works - just as Abraham's righteousness was a gift from God not based on works. This is Paul's whole point: Our righteousness is a gift from God and so is our life. We achieve both by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works or any social status.
Paul is specifically arguing in this passage that there are only two choices when it comes to life: either obeying sin (which leads to shame and death) or obeying God (which leads to holiness and life). The difference is that one is what we deserve (wages of sin) and one is not (gift of God).

Apply:
It follows that my justification will lead to holy living. If I rely on God to save me, why wouldn't I rely on God to help me live? I'm not talking about physical life (although that is a gift from God as well) but about really living, being alive. I have settled for living death when Christ offers living life! I think that we, as a Christian society, have stopped short of the life that God wants.
I also don't think we see the two options very clearly. We tend to think that our choices stand alone and don't see the effect they may be having on history and eternity. We need to recognize that in this battle between sin and holiness, death and life, that we must be very intentional in the things we do and say. I need to evaluate every choice: how can I best promote the cause of holiness and life and act against sin and death?

I want that kind of credit card...

Romans 4:1-8

Observe:
Two people's lives and words are used as examples to prove Paul's point that the just will live by faith: Abraham and David.
Paul contrasts the ideas of works and faith or belief. Other key words are righteousness, credit, justified. He also compares the spiritual transaction between Abraham and God to a financial transaction: when a person works, he is credited with wages (the employer owes the employee). However, Abraham did not work, he believed and God credited him with righteousness (it is not that God now owes Abraham anything but as a gift he credits it to Abrahams account).

Interpret:
Paul uses Abraham because he was considered the father of the Jewish faith. If the father of Judaism was credited righteousness because of what he believed as opposed to what he did, then all the rest of humanity cannot earn God's righteousness through works either. Paul also uses David because he was THE king that everyone looked back on. Paul uses these two important figures to add authority to his argument: "Look, I'm not making this up. Even Abraham and David talked about this."
The main argument here is summed up in Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death." If it was about earning anything, all that humanity would earn is death because they have sinned. Apart from faith in God, death was being credited to our account. But, when a person puts their faith in God and his promises, God does not count their sins against them anymore ("The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord") - like that bank account is wiped out - and instead credits righteousness to their account.

Apply:
God is gracious and merciful. He could have made me (and the rest of humanity) to draw from the account of death that I had built up but, simply because I trusted him, he cancelled that account and credited my account with righteousness.
Again, there is no cause for arrogance - I have nothing to boast about. As Paul says, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about..." But he wasn't so he doesn't and neither do I. Why am I righteous? Because God chose to credit my account. Not because I had any merit -I didn't (couldn't) finally bank up enough righteousness to get chosen. The fact that he chose me is nothing to boast about - he chose weasels like Jacob so all I'm saying when I get arrogant about God choosing me is that I am in the company of weasels (and properly so).
Finally, this righteousness that was credited to my account means that I should not take it for granted. I don't believe that God will take it away from me but he would be entirely justified to do so because it is his righteousness in the first place. I know that if I had given someone something so valuable and they took it for granted and abused it the way that I abuse God's righteousness, I would want to take it back. O, God, please forgive me for the way that I have abused your amazing gift!