Released: May 20, 2004

Songwriter: Lecrae

Producer: Lecrae

[Intro]
Grace through faith
I talked to a cat the other day
And he was like, man I really wanna come to Christ but I gotta clean my life up first, get my sins together
I told him, I used to think that way too
I thought I had to change myself before I could come to Christ, but Christ changed me, let me tell you my story, it starts like this

[Verse 1]
It's 5:46 in the morning
Tossing and turning
Chest burning
Sermons in my head keep reocurring
Having visions in my head of a kid
Crying at the feet of the Father
For all the wrong things that he did
Now I'm sweating in my sheets can't sleep
My mind keeps telling me I'm 6-feet deep (don't remind me)
Even though I'm still alive I can't tell
The way I'm living my life I feel I'm going to hell
God they telling me I should accept You
That You had to leave the world cause the world left You
Reason I can't change, like a mystery to me
So I make believe there really is a heaven for a G
Even though they say You loved the world so much
You shed Your blood
God, I feel I'm too messed up for love
They tell me come as I am, but I smell like smoke
My whole life's full of sin, cause it's all I know
The Bible told me that You died for my sins
If I believe in Christ to save me from the end
But I'm scared to ask You, to save me, my heart so evil
I got thoughts that's full of hatred, hurting people
I thought that first I had to clean up my life
Now I'm hearing, I just need to cling to the light
I'm ready to do it, but Lord I pray you understand
My life is a mess, will you take me as I am?

[Hook]
Will You take me as I am
I know the way I'm living is wrong
But I can't change on my own
Tryna make it alone
I wonder
How could You love me when my life's so ugly
But You came down and died for me
Will You take me as I am
I know the way I'm living is wrong
But I can't change on my own
Tryna make it alone
I wonder
How could You love me when my life's so ugly
But You came down and died for me
Will You take me as I am

[Verse 2]
I'm sick of tryna be the man that my daddy never taught me to be
I'm grown up now, life ain't what I thought it would be
I made, many mistakes in my past I can't fix
Now I'm staring at this crucifix, tatted on my wrist
Is it true what they telling me, am I just crazy?
Did You bleed on the cross for my sins to save me?
But why would You die for me?
My whole life I've been working for Satan while he fed lies to me
And now I'm hearing too much, tryna get a true touch
Of a love that can change me, I'm all screwed up
Figure hell is what I deserve
But Your Word says we all fall short
So I guess we all ought to burn
Teach me I wanna learn
How You could save a wretch like me
Before death says it's my turn
I think I finally understand
No matter my past
You'll still take me as I am
Will You take me as I am?

[Hook]
Will You take me as I am
I know the way I'm living is wrong
But I can't change on my own
Tryna make it alone
I wonder
How could You love me when my life's so ugly
But You came down and died for me
Will You take me as I am
I know the way I'm living is wrong
But I can't change on my own
Tryna make it alone
I wonder
How could You love me when my life's so ugly
But You came down and died for me
Will You take me as I am

[Verse 3]
If I was dying and had a few last words to give
I'd be telling people the reason to live
The reason to die
United with the King in the sky
This life is passing us by, I got no reason to lie
You'll never give the world enough, they'll hunger for more
They're fickle, their ways are nothin' to the wondrous Lord
More security than the man that left you
More love than the moms who kept you
He'll always accept you
Be everything you're supposed to
Let Christ rule your heart, mind, body and soul
Cause He chose you
And if the world don't know you
It don't matter, you're Gods child, and He'll never disown you
Your purpose, on Earth is, far from worthless
That's why you glorify like your life's been purchased
And it don't matter if the world don't see us
We still mean the world to Jesus
He took us as we were

[Hook]
Will You take me as I am
I know the way I'm living is wrong
But I can't change on my own
Tryna make it alone
I wonder
How could You love me when my life's so ugly
But You came down and died for me
Will You take me as I am
I know the way I'm living is wrong
But I can't change on my own
Tryna make it alone
I wonder
How could You love me when my life's so ugly
But You came down and died for me
Will You take me as I am

[Outro]
We're saved by grace through faith, it's not works, ain't nothing you can do, ain't nothing I can do that could get us this great salvation that we got man, it's only Christ, so if you feel like you gotta clean yourself up before you can come to Him, forget it, just come to Him, He'll take you as you are, and He'll change you, from the inside, out

Lecrae Moore

Lecrae Moore is a Christian rapper born in Houston, Texas. He is the president and co-founder of Reach Records. His career began in 2004—2 years after converting into Christianity. Since then, he has released a total of 7 solo albums, 3 mixtapes, and 1 collaboration album with super-producer Zaytoven.

He is one of the most influential and successful rappers of the Christian faith. He has been featured to perform and talk on several television shows such as The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, Wild N Out and ESPN. He has won many awards, including several Dove, Stellar, and BET Awards, and—most notably—2 Grammys.

He first received mainstream attention with the release of his 2012 mixtape Church Clothes which was downloaded 100,000 times in just 48 hours. He followed that up with Church Clothes 2 in 2013 and Church Clothes 3 in early 2016.