Acceptable Sacrifice: The Excellency of a Broken Heart

by John Bunyan

With spiritual sensitivity and in a meticulous manner, Bunyan carefully unveils the splendor and attraction of a heart that has been broken by the Lord. -Tommy Tenney From whence came the author's skill? He learned it of the God of Jacob; he learned it of the Holy Ghost; for the Holy Ghost is the great counselor who teaches us how to advocate His cause aright. -Charles Spurgeon The One who gave us our hearts is the One who also will break our hearts. The One who breaks our hearts is the One who heals our hearts. John Bunyan, classic bestselling author of Pilgrim's Progress, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, and Visions of Heaven and Hell, delivers with compelling conviction as he passionately portrays the beauty of the only sacrifice that is acceptable to God. With carefully crafted words, he describes the wonder and majesty of a heart broken before the Lord. The brokenhearted are not forsaken or ignored, for they are "His jewels, His beloved." The Acceptable Sacrifice is a timeless message and must be read by all who desire to enter into the Presence of the Lord.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Christian Living, Church History, Religion, Nonfiction, Amazon

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

John Bunyan, a Christian writer and preacher, was born at Harrowden (one mile south-east of Bedford), in the Parish of Elstow, England. He wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the most famous published Christian allegory. In the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August.

Reviews

[Nickolas Wingholt · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not the most riveting Puritan Paperback, it's premise kept me hooked. I was challenged to take things really slow and look up the incredibly obscure biblical examples that he expects the reader to be familiar with. I walked away wanting to take my sin much more seriously and repent much more vigorously. 1st time read. 3/5.

[Dwight · Rating 4 out of 5]

The language is a little archaic, but the message is great.

[Matthew Gasperoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

While convicting, this was such an encouraging read. Encouraging—because while the world may never understand the value of a broken heart, and if necessary, a repeatedly broken one to keep it tender before GOD—this book serves as a powerful reminder and confirmation of whose I am.

I’ll admit, I do wish it weren’t necessary so often—especially lately. But the fact that I’ve been so quickly convicted and broken over my sin, and the weight that falls upon me when it happens, only reinforces the truth that GOD desires something far greater for His children. It encourages me because I know I am being disciplined by the LORD—and therefore, I am truly His child.

If I were still in my old, worldly mindset, I’m not even sure this would register with me. Bunyan makes this point strongly as well. If you’re reading this with a hardened heart and in the middle of a spiritual struggle, this book may feel more piercing than comforting—but it’s a necessary piercing. On the other hand, if you’re in a more tender stage of your journey, I believe you’ll find it deeply encouraging.

I also deeply appreciated the wealth of Scripture references Bunyan includes with each point. It invites the reader to dive into the Word for deeper reflection, whether to be challenged further or to seek comfort and clarity.

What struck me most is how clearly Bunyan draws attention to both the vileness of sin and the glories of CHRIST. And what better message could a book possibly offer than that?

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This book helped me to meditate on who breaks our hearts, how our hearts are broken, and for what purpose our hearts are broken.

[Keris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunyan makes the case for an authentic work of God in breaking the heart before we can come to Him. A real help!

[Koupper Covington · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a short book, it was a bit hard to finish. But overall, it was a beautiful and helpful book that allowed me to better grasp God’s love for humility in the human heart and the way in which he give it to us.

[Rick Shrader]

This book by Bunyan is profitable to the modern reader because it deals with a universal and lasting problem: that of the human heart. Bunyan saw the need and advantage of a broken heart for the believer, and a necessity for the unbeliever. I will let Bunyan speak for himself here. “There has, indeed, at all times been great flocks of such professors in the world in every age, but to little purpose, unless to deceive themselves, to mock God, and lay stumblingblocks in the way of others; for a man whose heart was never truly broken, and whose spirit was never contrite, cannot profess Christ in earnest, cannot love his own soul in earnest; I mean, he cannot do these things in truth, and seek his own good the right way, for he wants a bottom for it, to wit, a broken heart for sin, and a contrite spirit.”
“When God shows a man the sin he has committed, the hell he has deserved, the heaven he has lost; and yet that Christ, and grace, and pardon may be had; this will make him serious, this will make him melt, this will break his heart, this will show him that there is more than air, than a noise, than an empty sound in religion; and this is the man, whose heart, whose life, whose conversation and all, will be engaged in the matters of the eternal salvation of his precious and immortal soul”
The book concludes with this, “’A broken heart, a contrite spirit, God will not despise’; but both thou, and all thy service, he will certainly slight and reject, if, when thou comest to him, a broken heart be wanting; wherefore here is the point, Come broken, come contrite, come sensible of, and sorry for thy sins, or thy coming will be counted no coming to God aright; and if so, consequently thou wilt get no benefit thereby.”

link: See more book reviews on my website

[Mark A Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using Psalm 51:17 as a starting point, Bunyan discusses the meaning of a ‘broken spirit’ and ‘contrite heart.’ Although the puritanical English can be difficult to follow at times, Bunyan makes some powerful observations about the nature of man, the deceit of sin, and the way in which God breaks our already-broken hearts in order to heal them completely through Christ. Bunyan’s work spans the centuries in order to speak directly to our haughty, misplaced self-reliance.

[Marguerite Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psalm 51:17 This is a great book to read too. We all do need to have a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart!

[Blue Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the last work of John Bunyan, the famous author of “Pilgrim’s Progress”, published shortly after his death in 1688 and the topic of his last sermon from the pulpit.

In a moving exposition of Psalm 51:17 (“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise”), Bunyan asserts that the most precious thing we can offer God is a broken and contrite heart.

What a comfort to those whose hearts are grieved over their own sin or held in the depths of despair for Bunyan writes that this condition is “one of the greatest mercies that God bestows upon a man or a woman.”

Why? For “there is room also in this man’s house, in this man’s heart, in this man’s spirit, for God to dwell, for God to walk, for God to set up a kingdom … woe be to him whose heart God breaketh not!”

Some Quotes:

- “A broken-hearted sinner, a sinner with a contrite spirit, is of more esteem with God than is either heaven or earth” (Isaiah 66:1-2)

- “God, as I may say, is forced to break men’s hearts, before he can make them willing to cry to him, or be willing that he should have any concerns with them … it seems … the beginning of hell; but … all these are but the beginnings of love, and but that which makes way for life. The Lord kills before he makes alive; he wounds before his hands make whole.”

- “No man can break the heart with the Word; no angel can break the heart with the Word; that is, if God forbears to second it by mighty power from heaven … when the hand of the Lord is with the Word, then it is mighty.”

- “Men, whatever they say with their lips, cannot conclude, if yet their hearts want breaking, that sin is a foolish thing.”

- “Men are resolved to put God to the utmost of it; if He will have them He must fetch them, follow them, catch them, lame them; yea, break their bones, or else He shall not save them.”

[Derek van Vliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Bunyan - as always - has a supremely biblical understanding of the human condition (in its sin), as well as an astonishing way of highlighting the truth of the scriptures. "The Acceptable Sacrifice" is one of the best books dealing with Psalm 51:17.
I never would have thought of the scripture's unanimous message of a broken heart truly being (typically) the only way one can know to be saved. Or see the signs thereof.

I highly recommend John Bunyan to any Person, but "The Acceptable Sacrifice" is so Bible saturated and gospel centered, of course - being Bunyan - very much reaching for the lost and greatly encouraging believers.

A 'must read' in my opinion. Since this book, when I read Psalm 51:17 I cannot think of a better exposition then this beautiful work of Bunyan.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalm 51:17 KJV)

[Julian Seibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Bunyan gehört in jedes Bücherregal. Seine tiefgründigen Gedanken und Überlegungen sind meisterhaft. In diesem Buch legt er Ps. 51,17 aus und zeigt, dass "ein rechtschaffen zerbrochener Geist, ein wahrhaft zerknirschtes Herz, für Gott etwas Vortreffliches ist". Das ist die Voraussetzung dafür, um in die Gegenwart Gottes einzutreten. Dazu lädt John Bunyan ein und bespricht im Buch, wie und warum ein Herz zerschlagen und zerbrochen sein sollte. Eine sehr ermutigende geistliche Lektüre, die dazu anregt, über sein eigenes Herz nachzudenken. Besonderes hat mir der letzte Teil des Buches gefallen. Bunyan geht darauf ein, wie man sein Herz empfindsam und weich hält und was die praktischen Anwendungen dieser Lehre sind. Ein tiefgründiges Buch. Man muss innehalten und die Wahrheiten sacken lassen.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Bunyan is a certified HOSS. I enjoy his books. As a fellow "uneducated" man myself, I enjoy when he gets fired up in his works. It goes to show that you don't need to be academy trained to write sound theological, solid biblical books, and even moreso in his case, from a jail cell like Pilgrims Progress. After all, he wrote that second best selling book of all time, so as Martin Luther said "A simple man with scripture has more authority than the pope or a council" is true. Moral of this story is God smashed your hardened evil and wicked heart and gave you a new heart of flesh, so use it, and enrich it.

I've enjoyed all of his books so far. Going to check out a few more!

[Matt Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I wish I had read much earlier in my walk. An exposition of psalm 51, more of an exposition of the theme, it examines what it means to have a contrite heart. He examines how God uses a contrite heart for his own purposes. When I was an early Christian I read Thomas Watson‘s doctrine of repentance and it really put my faith into perspective for me, as I read this a couple decades later I find it to be an excellent reminder or companion to either Watson or John Owens mortification of sin.

[Kennedy Froebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken & a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalms 51:17

God is kind & He really do be close to the broken hearted psalm 34:18

This book expounds on the meaning of psalm 51:17 & helps you meditate on God’s character for loving such deprived people & the blessing it is to have a tender heart toward spiritual things, only God can give that.

[abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Acceptable Sacrifice is a very detailed and heartfelt exposition of Psalm 51 : 17. John Bunyan provides concrete explanation, to an extent readers could feel his struggle surrounding this topic of repentance and sin.
This book is very well-written and easy to understand.
"What can man bring to God which will be excellent and acceptable in His sight? A broken and contrite heart,"

[Mike Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the most gripping Puritan Paperback. But it's content is really good and worth reading! Here is one of my favorite quotes from it, ""As bread to the hungry, as water to the thirsty, as light to the blind, and liberty to the imprisoned; so, and a thousand times more, is Jesus Christ to the wounded, and to them that are broken-hearted." (pg. 82)

[Jesus Salgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real challenge to the soul. Image the heart you have now and then image the grace of God destroying that heart to make it a new one. Once you read this book you can appreciate the grace God has towards your once broken heart.

[Jennifer Epperhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book. The most intriguing thing about it is that it was John Bunyan’s best book—according to himself. He preferred the message of this short book over his other works, even Pilgrim’s Progress. It was being printed when he died; it holds a key.

[Chris Guest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enriching to the modern day reader! Bunyan expounds on Psalm 51:17, that a “humble spirit and contrite heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God”. The whole books helps to understand what he means by that!

[Gina Marie Castell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book

This book is deep, because it is written with the heart of God. The author understands the broken and contrite heart and desires his readers to grasp the meaning as well. The Christian life must be a life of repentance. That is the theme and purpose of this book.

[William Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Convicting preaching. The kind of book you want to put away but shouldn't.

[Gradon Schaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book explaining the biblical concept of the broken heart. Very helpful chapter on how to keep your heart tender towards the Lord.

[Jacob London · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #4 read due to COVID quarantine. A wonderful exposition of Psalm 51.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is in the providence of God that I would read this at such a time as this...incredible.

[Sctnyve Sr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was life changing!

[Justin Andrusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short, but sweet exposition of Psalm 51:17 and I really enjoyed it.