Conviction of Sin

The Christian life begins with what the Bible calls "conviction of sin," the sense that one is indeed a sinner in God's sight, deserving of condemnation, and in need of being saved from a miserable condition and a justly deserved eternal fate.

We see this portrayed in the New Testament most dramatically in Jesus' account of the Pharisee and the tax collector: "the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'" Explaining this, Jesus said, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other (the self-righteous Pharisee). For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Ray Ortlund beautifully expresses the biblical teaching on conviction of sin in this passage.

What is conviction of sin? It is not an oppressive spirit of uncertainty or paralyzing guilt feelings.

Conviction of sin is the lance of the divine Surgeon piercing the infected soul, releasing the pressure, letting the infection pour out.

Conviction of sin is a health-giving injury.

Conviction of sin is the Holy Spirit being kind to us by confronting us with the light we don't want to see and the truth we're afraid to admit and the guilt we prefer to ignore.

Conviction of sin is the severe love of God over-ruling our compulsive dishonesty, our willful blindness, our favorite excuses.

Conviction of sin is the violent sweetness of God opposing the sins lying comfortably undisturbed in our lives.

Conviction of sin is the merciful God declaring war on the false peace we settle for.

Conviction of sin is our escape from malaise to joy, from attending church to worship, from faking it to authenticity.

Conviction of sin is, with the forgiveness of Jesus pouring over our wounds, is life.

I'm looking for the source of this passage in Ortlund's works.