I think John Stott is wrong.
There, I said it. If you knew what a huge fan of Stott I am you would know how hard those 6 words are for me to type.
But I'm reading through his commentary on Romans 7 and he is dealing with the BIG question of Romans 7.... Who is the "I" of Romans 7... the cat who seems to do what he doesn't want to do and can't do what he wants to do
Options SEEM to be:
1.) An unconverted man (a nonXn)
2.) An Old Testament Christian
a.) Who loves the law. Only true Christian can
b.) but who lacks the Spirit
3.) A normal Christian
4.) An abnormal Christian, struggling too much with sin
Stott says he thinks Romans 7 is written from #2 perspective. If it is... I am toast. I'm so thankful that other heavyweights see it as #3. (John Murray, J.I. Packer, John Piper, James Boice, et al)
For what it is worth, the standard Puritan understanding of our Christian experience in this world, was Romans 7 & 8. Like this:
Romans 7: we sin like crazy, even against what we know and want often
Romans 8: but we have a rescuer who is granting us life in the Spirit, to put our sin to death... little by little
John Murray clarifies this state in his Principles of Conduct:
The believer is a new man, a new creation, but he is a new man not yet made perfect. Sin dwells in him still, and he still commits sin. He is necessarily the subject of progressive renewal; he needs to be transfigured into the image of the Lord from glory to glory.
Fred Malone writes:
Do not deny that Rom. 7:14-25 is the Christian. You will despair if you are honest with your soul. Do not think that you will ever (totally) get out of Rom. 7 into Rom. 8. If you do, you will chase a figment of men's theological imaginations which will destroy your assurance of salvation and blind you to the work of God in your soul or else it will foster a spiritual pride and antinomianism which may end up destroying your soul in hell. Rather, look into Rom. 7:14-25 and see the work of God begun in the Christian soul and rejoice that He has not left you alone to harden your conscience against sin. Rejoice that the dominion of sin is broken and he is leading you into deeper repentance, increased holiness, and greater dependence upon Christ and joy in His free and ever available grace. Then do with your people what Bunyan did: "I preached what I smartingly did feel."
The poor, struggling sinner who is erroneously told that the struggle with sin he or she is currently experiencing is a sign of defeat and that the person is not yet a Christian, or else has chosen not to take advantage of the victory offered to all those in Christ, should instead see the struggle with sin as proof that sanctification is actually taking place. --Kim Riddlebarger
sources:
http://www.founders.org/journal/fj02/article1.html
Romans 7 and the Normal Christian Life by Kim Ridddlebarger, in Modern Reformation
