Why are people lost?
They are lost because they are born in sin as children of Adam, not because of specific acts like drunkenness, cheating, stealing, or immorality. They remain lost because they have refused the remedy—the completed work of the cross, which Paul constantly proclaimed.
Les teaches that people are lost not because of what they have done but because of what they are. The natural human tendency is to listen to the old Adamic nature, which knows only rebellion against the things God laid down. Thus people become sinners by birth as children of Adam. They are not lost because they went out and got drunk one night, cheated, stole, or committed immorality; they are lost because they are born in sin and have refused the remedy, which is the work of the cross. Paul constantly emphasizes that the cross has completed everything.