Is Paul speaking as a believer or an unbeliever in Romans 7:15?
Paul is writing as the believer in Romans 7:15, having reckoned old Adam as crucified and dead, yet still present as an influence in the Christian life. Though some see two ways of looking at it, the consistent teaching is that old Adam is crucified and declared dead in God's mind.
Les explains that when we come to verse 15, these are sometimes hard verses, but it helps to understand that Paul is writing as the believer who has reckoned old Adam as crucified and dead, as he has been teaching, yet old Adam is still left as an influence even in the Christian life. Les acknowledges there are two ways of looking at this, but he maintains what he has always taught: old Adam is crucified and declared dead in the mind of God. The moment a person believes the Gospel, God saw them in the person of Christ on the cross. This is possible because God is the omnipotent, omniscient God, with whom nothing is impossible.