What is the overall theme of the book of Romans?
The overall theme of Romans is God's desire to reconcile the human being back to what he was in Adam before sin entered, and to declare believers just as if they had never sinned. This reconciliation is accomplished when one believes the gospel, and it spans the book from cover to cover.
Les teaches that the whole theme of this book, from cover to cover, is that God wants to reconcile the human being back to what he was in Adam before sin entered. When we believe the gospel, God can declare us just as if we had never sinned, so we are to reckon ourselves as such. Les emphasizes that this is something few professing believers realize, and he plans to keep almost shouting it. He also illustrates with psychology: telling a young man he will never amount to anything can program him for failure, while encouragement can lead him to be the glory of God in person.