Joel Osteen - Purify Yourself
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I want to talk to you today about Purifying Yourself. It’s easy to go through life carrying things that are poisoning us: pride, jealousy, and unforgiveness. We don’t realize that these are contaminating our lives. And as long as they are there, they are blocking the blessings that belong to us. God has already scheduled times to be good to you, to show you favor, open doors, and turn problems around, but we have to be in alignment with Him for that to happen.
The scripture says, «Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.» This implies that if there are impurities, then you’re not going to see God’s best. On a regular basis, you need to ask yourself, «Is there something I’m doing that’s keeping me from growing? Am I holding on to bitterness that’s blocking my joy? Am I dwelling on doubt, convinced that my dream can’t come to pass? It’s blocking my faith. Or am I running with the wrong crowd that’s polluting my decisions and blocking my destiny?» You have to get rid of the blessing blockers. It’s not that God is withholding His goodness; those impurities are keeping you from seeing it.
Maybe you went through a disappointment: a door closed, a friend walked away, you attempted to live sour, and think that life’s not fair. Don’t let that bitterness block the new things God has in store. If you’ll keep that poison out of your spirit, God will make it up to you. Well, you may have made mistakes. How you believe in those lies that you’re not worthy and that nothing good is in your future, that it’s too late now. That guilt is blocking your blessing. When you ask for forgiveness, God forgave you the first time. He doesn’t remember what you did wrong. Why are you remembering what God has forgotten? Why are you dwelling on your failures when you’ve been forgiven, restored, and washed clean? Try a different approach and purify yourself.
See, sometimes we’re waiting for God to do something, but God is waiting on us. You have to remove the blessing blockers. When your heart is pure, you will see God’s favor, His healing, His restoration. And this is not something we should do once a year or once a quarter. On a daily basis, you need to empty out any unforgiveness, doubt, or anger. You’ll get in the habit of purifying yourself, then you’re in a position for God to show Himself strong in your life. After 40 years of wandering in the desert, the Israelites were about to go into the promised land. Moses had died; now Joshua was in charge. They were camped at the Jordan River and needed to get across. The problem was it was swollen, over a mile wide.
Well, Joshua had seen how God parted the Red Sea for Moses and he believed God would do that for him. Early one morning, he called everyone together and told them how the next day they were going to follow the priests into the water. The priests would be carrying the Ark of the Covenant that represented the presence of God. I’m sure some of the people were worried, thinking, «Joshua, there’s a river there! We can’t get across!» Joshua said in verse 5, «Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.»
The next day, the Jordan River was going to part. A few days later, the walls of Jericho were going to fall. These were moments of favor God had already planned for them, but there was a requirement: something the people had to do before it could happen. Joshua said, «Purify yourselves.» They had to go through this process of cleansing and consecration. I can imagine some of them were busy; they were tired; they didn’t feel like it. But they didn’t see it as an option. They knew that if they didn’t purify themselves, they weren’t going to be allowed to go. Purification was a requirement. They had to wash their clothes, abstain from intimacy, and offer a burnt offering for sins. It was a time of consecration and cleansing that prepared them for what God was about to do.
And they had these ceremonial laws back then. Of course, we don’t have those today, but the principle is still true. If you’re going to see the wonders of God, if you’re going to step into new levels, you have to purify yourself. The higher you go, the more consecrated you have to be. For God to release more of His favor, you have to step up to a new level of commitment, focus, and discipline. You may not be able to hang around the same friends and see the wonders of God. You may have to adjust how you spend your time, what you’re watching, your attitude, your thought line. If you’ll come up higher in those areas, you’re positioning yourself for God to do greater things.
The next day, after they had purified themselves, the priests walked into the water with everyone following them. Just like the Red Sea, it opened up. The people went through on dry ground. They saw the wonders of God. God is saying to us what He said to them: «If you will purify yourself, you will see me do amazing things in your life.» If you will release the unforgiveness, if you’ll be happy for that friend instead of jealous, if you’ll bite your tongue and not say hurtful things, if you’ll stop believing that you’re not enough and not valuable, if you’ll get rid of the insecurity, then you will step into favor, good breaks, and the wonders that God has already planned for you.
And it’s significant that Joshua didn’t say, «The priest will help purify you.» The leadership will do it. Find a friend to purify you. This is something only you can do. You have to make the choice: «I’m going to live a holy, consecrated life. I’m going to do the right thing when no one is looking. I’m going to be kind when I don’t feel like it. I’m going to resist the temptation to get angry and compromise.» If it was up to other people, our destiny would be in their hands. It’s up to them to keep us on track and ensure we’re disciplined. They have to hold us accountable. That’s all good, but you can fool other people. They can’t be with you 24 hours a day. They don’t know what you’re thinking; they don’t know what’s happening in secret. This is all about self-discipline, self-control. You make the choice to keep your temple pure, to get rid of the toxins, the doubt, the jealousy, the compromise—these things that are keeping you from the favor that God has in store.
Joshua said, «Tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders.» The blessing was already scheduled. Your breakthrough is already on the calendar. Meeting the right person, the healing, the promotion, your promised land—God has already set the time. He’s already marked that moment, but before it can happen, you have to purify yourself. Well, if your set time is in two days from now, are you ready? If God has scheduled your Jordan River to part next Friday, are you able to go on the trip? Have you forgiven the person that did you wrong? Have you cleansed yourself from watching things that are polluting you? Have you broken away from relationships that are pulling you down? Have you deleted those thoughts telling you you’ll never get well, never be free? Those are toxins that will poison your life.
I know some of this is not easy, but God will never ask you to do something and not give you the ability to do it. His grace will be there to empower you. Maybe you’ve tried before. You weren’t able. You need to try again. God is breathing on you in a new way. You have the power to resist the temptation, the grace to release the hurt, the discipline to do the right thing. It may be hard to forgive, but that unforgiveness is blocking your blessing. It’s harder to live bitter, to go through life with that poisoning your spirit. It may be difficult to control your temper, to bite your tongue, and not be argumentative. But it’s more difficult to live in mediocrity and miss the great wonders God has for you. You have to get rid of the blessing blockers. Purity is power. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect; we all have things we’re dealing with, but you’re doing your best. You’re not accepting mediocrity. You’re taking steps daily to empty out the negative, to release the hurt, or to forgive yourself for mistakes. God sees you doing your best; you’re in position to see His favor in greater ways.
It’s interesting how God designed the body to function each day. We eat food and get our nutrition. The body takes what’s helpful and uses it for energy, growth, and new cells. Then every day, there’s a process of elimination, where the waste, toxins, and things that aren’t helpful are released from the body. If there’s not a daily elimination, you know what happens: you get constipated. You don’t feel good; you don’t have energy; you’re lethargic. You can be nauseated, all because you’re holding on to things that are supposed to be released. I don’t want this to be gross, but some people are mentally constipated. They’ve held on to every hurt, every disappointment, every closed door, and great-grandmother said something 40 years ago. They’re still upset, still mad at the boss that left them out, still dwelling on mistakes they made decades back, still reliving the loss, the pain from a breakup. As long as you’re holding on to that, it’s poisoning you. You’re not going to have the energy, the creativity, or the joy to become who you were created to be.
Do yourself a favor; have an elimination. Purify yourself, release anything negative—the guilt, the hurt, the insecurity. God has great wonders in front of you. He saw what wasn’t fair; He saw who hurt you and what didn’t work out. He’s already scheduled beauty for those ashes. He’s already put on your calendar ways to pay you back and thrust you ahead, where you don’t even think about who did you wrong. There are great wonders in your future. But remember the requirement: you have to get rid of the blessing blockers. Just like in the physical, you need to do this on a daily basis. Don’t let things build up. The scripture says, «Don’t let the sun go down while you’re still angry.» Why would God tell us not to let anger last over 24 hours? Because He doesn’t want us to get clogged up. This is saying, «Don’t go to bed mad at your spouse. Don’t get up in the morning with condemnation or jealousy of that friend, or thinking you’re not good enough.» Every morning, there needs to be a cleansing, a reset, where you let go of all the negative, forgive people for what they said yesterday, forgive yourself for not performing perfectly, and set your mind in faith, in hope, thanking God for the favor on your life. That’s purifying yourself. If not, the anger is going to be there one night, then two, then a month, and a year. Now it’s a part of who you are. And that may be the way it’s been, but you don’t have to stay that way. You wouldn’t be hearing this if God wasn’t calling you up higher. He has some great wonders scheduled for your life. There are some promised lands, some Jordan Rivers that are about to part. Like Joshua told the people, «Tomorrow it’s going to happen. You need to get ready.»
You’re about to see God show out in your life. Now my whole challenge is to make sure you’re prepared. Don’t be left on the shores watching others go into the promised land because you didn’t deal with things, you didn’t release the toxins, you didn’t break away from bad influences, and you held on to the hurt. This is a wake-up call. We’re not going to be here forever. Life is flying by. We don’t have time to miss opportunities. There is greatness in you. God has raised you up to set new standards. Now be responsible for what He’s entrusted you with. Maybe there are things you’re watching or listening to that are contaminating you. You tell yourself it’s no big deal; everybody does it. But you’re not everybody; you’re called to stand out in the crowd. Some of these shows on television, where people are unfaithful, have no morals, and backstab friends, if you’re constantly watching that, those seeds are being planted in you. You’re allowing that to take root. They’re going to become the same thing. Your destiny is too important and your assignment too valuable to play around with things that are going to limit you.
The scripture says you are a chosen people, set apart and called by God. One version says a peculiar people—not weird, but different. You’re supposed to stand out. You’re supposed to be the exception. Everyone else is compromising—not you. You’ve been set apart. «Joel, all my coworkers complain and bad-mouth the company. They all show up late and cut corners.» That’s fine. You’re not responsible for their lives, but that’s not who you are. You’re a cut above. You’ve been called to live with integrity, honesty, and excellence. When they’re complaining, don’t let that poison get into you. Don’t join in and add to the problem; be part of the solution. Be grateful that you have a job: «Lord, I want to thank You that You blessed me with this position.» They come in late; be the exception; you get there early. You do more than you have to.
Paul said in 2nd Corinthians, «Come out from among them and be separate,» says the Lord. God is not looking for the crowd, for what everyone is doing. He’s looking for people that will separate themselves, that will live consecrated, holy, and excellent—not doing as little as they can to get by, but people who go the extra mile. I like to watch football, and the quarterback will get the ball and look out for a receiver or someone that he can throw to. That receiver has a defender—someone on the other team that’s covering him, trying not to let him catch the ball. The defender will stay as close as possible, even bumping against him. The receiver’s whole job is to create separation. He’s trying to lose the defender to get open so the quarterback can throw him the ball. The quarterback is ready to pass it; he’s standing there waiting. It’s up to the receiver to break away, to create space so he can receive that pass. It’s the same principle; God is the quarterback. He’s ready to pass you the favor, the healing, the abundance. But you have to do your part and create separation. You have to get away from the crowd—the compromisers, the complainers, the naysayers, the jealous people. If you’ll come out from among them and choose to live by a higher standard, then you’ll be open and ready to receive the great wonders of our God.
A few days before Joshua told the people to purify themselves, he sent spies into Jericho to see what the city was like. They looked around and got the information they needed, but before they could leave, word got out that they were there. The police were going everywhere trying to find them, knocking on door after door. It was a lady that lived there named Rahab. She was a prostitute. She took the spies into her house and hid them. She knew they were Israelites. She told them, «We’re all afraid of your God. We know He’s all-powerful, and we cannot stand against Him.» The authorities came knocking on her door and asked if she’d seen the men. She said, «No, they were here earlier, but they left before the city gates shut. You can probably catch them if you go chasing after them.» The whole time, she had them hidden upstairs underneath the straw on her roof.
Well, Rahab had lived a life that she wasn’t pleased with; she didn’t feel valuable. She was looked down on. But when those spies showed up, something came alive on the inside. She thought, «This is not who I am. I wasn’t created to live in shame and compromise.» She told the spies, «I’ll hide you, but when you come back to take the city, you have to promise that you’ll save me and my family.» She was saying, in effect, «I believe in your God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.» When the walls of Jericho fell down, all the people were defeated except Rahab and her family. She went with the Israelites into the promised land. She later had children; her great-grandson was Boaz, who married Ruth. You remember Ruth was David’s grandmother. That means that Rahab, this former prostitute, is in the family line of Jesus. It all started when she made that decision to purify herself.
God is showing us through Rahab that you’re never too far gone. You’re never too impure, too addicted, too rough, or too angry. You can still become who you were created to be. Do you have to do like her and make that decision to separate yourself, to get away from bad influences, to quit dwelling on unworthy, not valuable thoughts, to release all the toxins that are polluting your spirit? It may not be something big like Rahab had, but a sour attitude can keep you from your destiny. Being critical, finding fault all the time—that’s poisoning your future. The Holy Spirit doesn’t condemn us, but He will convict us. Condemnation pushes you down and makes you feel bad, but conviction challenges you to come up higher. You feel that uneasiness, that unrest saying, «Hey, this jealousy is not who you are. Be happy for them.» That’s God saying, «Purify yourself.»
Don’t ignore it; deal with it or you’ll hear that still, small voice saying, «Hey, quit being so harsh with your family. Quit letting that coworker steal your joy every day.» God corrects His children. He’s going to challenge you in areas where you may be comfortable. For a season, that was okay, but He’s calling you up higher. What was fine five years ago, it’s not fine now. He’s about to do greater wonders, so He’s saying there has to be a higher level of consecration. Who you used to hang around with—that was okay, but not now. Not for where you’re about to go. What you used to watch—that season is over. You’re stepping into greater things. Now you have to have greater separation.
The ball God is about to throw you is something you’ve never seen. Your promised land—are you prepared? Have you purified yourself? The scripture says, «In a large house, there are vessels of wood and clay used for ordinary purposes, and some of silver and gold used for honorable purposes. If any person will cleanse themselves from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel set apart, useful to the master for His highest purposes.» Let’s not get stuck being wood and clay. That’s fine for a while; we all start off that way, but we should be growing. We should be better this year than we were last year, not the same bad attitude dragging us down, not giving in to the same temptation, the same guilt clouding our future, or the same hurt poisoning our dreams. Those are toxins keeping you from the great wonders God has in store. And again, nobody can do this except you. Purify yourself.
Rahab did it after years of compromise. She still reached her destiny. You can too. Are there any areas that you know are limiting you? Maybe things you’ve grown up with and now you’ve accepted. Today can be the turning point. You’re not a vessel of wood, a vessel of clay. I’m looking at vessels of gold used for God’s highest purposes, ready for His great wonders. It’s already scheduled. Now do your part. Separate yourself; create some more room for God to bless you.
I never dreamed I would be up here. God has opened doors and given me favor and opportunities like I’ve never imagined. But with that promotion comes opposition-people that don’t understand you, trying to mischaracterize you. It’d be easy to let that poison get in me, where I live defensive and upset, trying to pay people back. I’ve learned the importance of keeping my heart pure. If your heart gets contaminated, it will affect everything about you-your relationships, your attitude, your vision. That’s why the scripture says, «Guard your heart, for out of it flow the issues of life.» I’ve learned on a daily basis the importance of a release, a cleansing. Just like with the physical, you have to eliminate any worry, any guilt, any compromise. Let all that go so you can keep your heart pure, so you can enjoy the day, love your family, and pursue your dreams.
While back, I was at the hospital in the lobby at the medical center, and this couple came up. The husband asked if I would go pray for his father. He’d had surgery and was recovering very slowly. I told him I would. We walked a long way across the street to a different wing and finally arrived at his hospital door. They said, «We’ll stay out here; you just go in and surprise him.» I thought, «I don’t know about that. I’m going to walk in on this man I’ve never met.» They said, «Oh, come on! He’ll love it!»
I went in. He was about 75 years old. He didn’t say a word. He just looked at me as unexcited as could be. I started encouraging him, telling him that God is our healer and he’s going to come out. Then I prayed a strong prayer, declared faith and healing. When I finished, I leaned over, gave him a hug, and walked out of the room. His children said, «What did he do?» I said, «He just laid there and looked at me.» They said, «Oh, that’s great because he doesn’t like you. He always makes fun of us when we watch you.» I thought, «If I’d known that, I’d pray something different: God, take the old goat home.» But what am I saying?
On a daily basis, you have to release the offense. Release what someone said. Y’all still laughing, aren’t you? I wasn’t laughing; I was embarrassed. But anyway, release the jealousy. Don’t let the sun go down without an elimination, purifying yourself of any toxins-things you know are going to weigh you down. Listen, God is the quarterback. He has the favor, the increase, the opportunities, but He’s looking for separation. He’s looking for those that will come out from among them-not those who fit in. That’s wood and clay; that’s not who you are. You’re a vessel of gold. You have greatness in you. God has His amazing wonders already on your schedule.
Now do your part and purify yourself. If you’ll do this, I believe and declare, like Joshua, that the Jordan Rivers are about to part for you-doors opening you couldn’t open, like Rahab, restoration, honor, and influence-levels that you never saw coming. In Jesus' name. And if you receive it, can you say amen?