What does Paul trumpet to the world in Romans about why we are what we are?
In Romans, Paul trumpets that we are what we are because Christ not only died but rose victorious over our archenemy. By resurrection He broke the bonds and shackles of sin, triumphing over sin, hell, death, and everything. This resurrection power is the bedrock of the Gospel, not merely belief that Jesus was a good man or died by crucifixion.
Les explains that after the resurrection Peter was no longer afraid of Rome, the Jews, or anybody because he had witnessed the power of resurrection. That resurrection has to be the bedrock of our Gospel. It is not enough to believe that Jesus was a good man, nor enough to believe that He died a crucifixion; the Gospel must be taken to its whole fruition: He was raised from the dead, victorious over sin, over hell, over death, over everything. As we get into Romans, Les says we will see that this is what Paul trumpets to the world—that we are what we are because not only did Christ die, but He rose victorious over our archenemy, and He was able then to break the bonds and the shackles of sin.