Conviction of Sin

Isa 1:2-9 is a lament that decries God's people's disregard for righteousness and brings conviction to their souls.  What is conviction of sin?

• "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 overruling 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, with the forgiveness of Jesus pouring over our wounds, is life."

Ray Ortlund, Isaiah: God Saves Sinners, p. 26
Our Urgent Need: A New Self-Awareness 1 (Isaiah 1:2-9).