When is God's saving power released to a person?
God's saving power is released to a person when they believe the gospel: that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. Until that belief, the power cannot be released from God. It takes God's power to save and free from sin's shackles.
Les explains that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those perishing, but to those being saved it is the power of God. He emphasizes that it takes the power of God to save us and set us free from the shackles of sin. That power can never be released from God until we believe the gospel that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. He notes he repeats this purposely for emphasis, as Scripture does.