In Romans 7:14:24: It does matter what tense you put on it because if Paul was speaking as a Pharisee (as Saul) in that he would be under the 613 Laws of Moses, he would have been seeking to justify himself by the Law (Torah) and thus he would have been fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4), and he would need Jesus Christ and His grace to be saved. As I said the context of the chapter starts off with addressing those who know the LAW or the Torah (Please see Romans 7:1). So this is the framework or context Paul is talking within.
Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
TWO Laws are mentioned here.
#1. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (New Covenant Law).
#2. Law of Sin and Death (The Torah or the 613 Laws of Moses because you could be put to death physically for disobeying it).
What is the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus?
Romans 8:1 tells us.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Romans 7:6 says “we should serve in newness of spirit, and not
in the oldness of the letter.”
Walking after the Spirit is the New Covenant way in serving and we were not to walk after the flesh (being under the Old Law) or justifying some kind of sin (So as not to be under the Condemnation).
To paraphrase the Wikipedia article, the New Testament is filled with Historical Present usage and the gospel Mark is an excellent example. So to say that this could not be Historical Present in Romans 7:14-24 is not only immoral (as an attempt to justify sin), but it is not in line with what we do read in the whole of the New Testament. You want to enforce your Modern understanding on grammar usage so as to justify the idea that Paul struggled with sin and was saved (When that runs contrary to the whole of the Bible). But God’s grace is not a license for immorality (Jude 1:4). If the Bible is indeed not saying you can sin and be saved and yet you twist it to say that, then you are justifying sin (Whether you agree with that view or not; It simply is the reality). In other words, I would not want to take the chance at risking my soul in justifying sin and I would want to always do the right thing with the LORD Jesus Christ. To say we can sin and still be saved means God would have to agree with your sin and that’s not possible because God is holy, just, and good.
Stop and think for a moment.
1 Corinthians 2:16 says we have the mind of Christ.
Jesus never had a mind to justify or condone any kind of sin because He is God Almighty in the flesh (Second person of the Godhead or Trinity). So… if Jesus never justified sin or the idea that He must sin again, then we are to have the same mind that He had, as well. That’s what your not getting.