---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not disqualified or bad people…"
description: "\"We are not disqualified or bad people trying to be good. We are holy, righteous, and redeemed. Sometimes, we spend more time on what we used to be and ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/bart-millard-10713_bad_we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-tr_1278120.jpg"
---

#  We are not disqualified or bad people trying to be good…

![“We are not disqualified or bad people trying to be good. We are holy, righteous, and redeemed. Sometimes, we spend more time on what we used to be and not who we are now.” quote by Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/bart-millard-10713_bad_we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-tr_1278120.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/bart-millard-10713_bad_we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-tr_1278120.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/bart-millard-10713_bad_we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-tr_1278120.jpg)

> “We are not disqualified or bad people trying to be good. We are holy, righteous, and redeemed. Sometimes, we spend more time on what we used to be and not who we are now.”

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People are inherently holy and redeemed, yet often cling to past identities instead of embracing present grace.

**In simple terms:** We are redeemed, not defined by past sins.

Key Takeaway

Focus on who you are now.

Themes

redemption identity grace spiritual health

Mood

encouraging contemplative

Type

lyric inspirational

When to use this quote

- daily devotion
- counseling
- support groups
- personal journaling

Key Concepts

self-concept theology of sanctification

Questions to Reflect On

- What past label do you still carry?
- How can you affirm your present identity?

A Different Perspective

Past identity can dominate thoughts; need intentional renewal.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-people/) [Righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you, So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/but-i-say-that-even-as-the-holy-and-the-righteous-cannot-rise-beyond/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [“The holy God proved holy by his righteous acts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-holy-god-proved-holy-by-his-righteous-acts/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [Redemption is prior to righteousness. You cannot be righteous until you are first redeemed,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/redemption-is-prior-to-righteousness-you-cannot-be-righteous-until/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [“Guariglia went to his children, who were playing by the brazier. "Look at them," he said. "I know they may not be as beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/guariglia-went-to-his-children-who-were-playing-by-the-brazier-look/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [He should first show them in deeds rather than words all that is good and holy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-should-first-show-them-in-deeds-rather-than-words-all-that-is-good/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The beautiful cannot be the way to what is useful, or to what is good, or to what is holy; it leads only to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cousin/the-beautiful-cannot-be-the-way-to-what-is-useful-or-to-what-is-good/)

[Victor Cousin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cousin/)

> [“But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/but-i-say-that-even-as-the-holy-and-the-righteous-cannot-rise-beyond-2/)

[Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/)

> [Learned arguments do not make a man holy and righteous, whereas a good life makes him dear to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/learned-arguments-do-not-make-a-man-holy-and-righteous-whereas-a-good/)

[Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/)

> [“God's Law is holy, righteous, and good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/god-s-law-is-holy-righteous-and-good/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [We must reacquaint ourselves with the biblical weight of the problem that we less-than-perfect human beings contend with in the face of a holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/we-must-reacquaint-ourselves-with-the-biblical-weight-of-the-problem/)

[Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/)

> [Even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you, so the wicked and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/even-as-the-holy-and-the-righteous-cannot-rise-beyond-the-highest/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Nobody is perfectly good. We're all trying to be good. To be better everyday. And we should never give up on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/nobody-is-perfectly-good-we-re-all-trying-to-be-good-to-be-better/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [Trying is good enough, but doing it is what has to be done. So quit trying and just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-nkgoeng/trying-is-good-enough-but-doing-it-is-what-has-to-be-done-so-quit/)

Vincent Nkgoeng

> [I'm always trying to have a good time on set because that's when things happen. That's when you're playful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/i-m-always-trying-to-have-a-good-time-on-set-because-that-s-when/)

[Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/)

> [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

## More by Bart Millard

> [I came to know Christ at the age of 13 during church camp at Glorieta, New Mexico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/i-came-to-know-christ-at-the-age-of-13-during-church-camp-at-glorieta/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [If somebody told me people would still care about our music 25 years ago, I would have thought they were crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/if-somebody-told-me-people-would-still-care-about-our-music-25-years/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [God was always a refuge for me growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/god-was-always-a-refuge-for-me-growing-up/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [We started making independent records. We started in '94 until about 2000 when just kind of just did it ourselves... We'd write our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/we-started-making-independent-records-we-started-in-94-until-about/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [My dad was a monster and I realized if the gospel could change that dude, the gospel can change anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/my-dad-was-a-monster-and-i-realized-if-the-gospel-could-change-that/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [The song 'Even If' is incredibly special to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/the-song-even-if-is-incredibly-special-to-me/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [I would say that God is much bigger than all of this. I've been through difficult times where it just seems like hope is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/i-would-say-that-god-is-much-bigger-than-all-of-this-i-ve-been/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [As long as there's breath in our lungs our story is still being written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/as-long-as-there-s-breath-in-our-lungs-our-story-is-still-being/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [Yeah, musically, from a production standpoint my favorite is probably 'Have a Little Talk with Jesus'. Just the way it turned out production wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/yeah-musically-from-a-production-standpoint-my-favorite-is-probably/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [My son, Sam, is 15 years old, and he's been a diabetic since he was 2. When you're a parent of a child with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/my-son-sam-is-15-years-old-and-he-s-been-a-diabetic-since-he-was-2/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [When my father died of cancer in 1991, he left me with the assurance that he was headed to a better place. He used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/when-my-father-died-of-cancer-in-1991-he-left-me-with-the-assurance/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [You didn't choose Christian music because it's more beneficial. It doesn't pay more. It doesn't make you more famous. There's some reason why you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/you-didn-t-choose-christian-music-because-it-s-more-beneficial-it/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [I am just sitting back and trying to take in the idea that the God who created everything around us, He didn't call the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/i-am-just-sitting-back-and-trying-to-take-in-the-idea-that-the-god/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [After 'The Hurt &amp; The Healer', we kind of hit a wall. I grew up in a somewhat legalistic church and it taught me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/after-the-hurt-the-healer-we-kind-of-hit-a-wall-i-grew-up-in-a/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

> [I'm not trying to shove anything down anybody's throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/i-m-not-trying-to-shove-anything-down-anybody-s-throat/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

[Explore all 64 Bart Millard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

## More Bad quotes

> [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/)

[Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/)

> [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/)

[Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/)

> [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/)

[Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/)

> [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/)

[Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/)

> [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/)

[Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/)

> [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/)

[Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/)

> [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/)

[Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/)

> [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/)

[Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/)

> [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/)

[Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/)

> [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/)

[Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/)

> [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/)

[David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/)

> [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/)

[Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/)

Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We are not disqualified or bad people trying to be good. We are holy, righteous, and redeemed. Sometimes, we spend more time on what we used to be and not who we are now.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bart Millard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-trying-to-be-good-we-are-holy/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-trying-to-be-good-we-are-holy/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/bart-millard-10713_bad_we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-tr_1278120.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/bart-millard-10713_bad_we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-tr_1278120.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/bart-millard-10713_bad_we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-tr_1278120.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We are not disqualified or bad people trying to be good. We are holy, righteous, and redeemed. Sometimes, we…” — Bart Millard",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bart Millard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We are not disqualified or bad...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-trying-to-be-good-we-are-holy/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/we-are-not-disqualified-or-bad-people-trying-to-be-good-we-are-holy/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
