To Whom or To What Are You Submitting Yourself? Your Own Righteousness (Or Your Own Way)? OR by Submitting to God's Righteousness? Choose Whom You Will Serve! Turn From Self Today! A Point to Ponder

Peter being crucified upsidedown because he submitted himself to God!

A Devotional for Tuesday August 18, 2026

From the pen of

John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim's Progress

Submission to God’s Righteousness

“For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness”

Romans 10: 3.

The want of understanding of . . . [justification by faith] is that which keeps so many in a mist of darkness about the way of salvation. When they hear of the need they have of a righteousness to commend them to God that is, of that which God imputes to a man and that by which he counts him righteous; [they] have it not in their thoughts to accept. . .[it] unto justification of life. But presently betake [journey] themselves to the law of works and fall to work there for the performing of a righteousness; that they may be accepted of God for the same. So, submit not themselves to the righteousness of God by which . . . the soul stands just before God (Romans 10: 1-3). It is necessary that this be distinctly laid down. That a man must be righteous first even before he doth righteousness. The argument is plain from the order of nature: “For a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit,” wherefore make the tree good, and so his fruit good; or the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt (Luke 6: 43) . . ..

It is manifest, that the person must be accepted before the duty performed can be pleasing unto God. And if the person must first be accepted, it is evident that the person must first be righteous. But if the person be righteous before he does good, then it follows that he is made righteous by righteousness that is none of his own. [So] . . . he hath no hand in [it], further than to receive it as the gracious gift of God. Deny this, and it follows that God accepts men without respect to righteousness; and then what follows . . . but that Christ is dead in vain?