Yes, “God accepts us as we are, and loves us unconditionally,” but He also expects us to repent and turn from our sinful ways….

My husband and I watched an interview with country singer, Carrie Underwood, on today's "Sunday Morning" show, Carrie is a Christian and her basic Easter message, via a discussion about her song, "Just as I Am" was that God accepts us as we are, and loves us unconditionally, despite all our faults and shortcomings, etc.

While that is a true statement, ELOHIM's message throughout the entire Bible is that, once we accept Him, we are expected to repent and turn from our ways ... to stop the sinning and begin living according to HIS Divine Instructions (found in the first five Books of the Bible which is called "Torah"). YHWH (יהוה) is all about "shema" (as in the command, “Shema Yisrael!” which means…"Israel, hear AND do!").

Once we accept YHWH as our God, and His Divine Messiah as our Redeemer, we are "spiritual Israel," expected to walk as Yeshua (Jesus) walked - in total obedience.

1 John 2:5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in him. 6 He who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked. (CJB)

Yeshua said, "Go and make disciples" not, "go and make believers." Disciples need instruction, and the instructions that YHWH laid down, and Yeshua later taught were from the Torah - our blueprint for moral, holy living!

Matthew 28:19-20: "Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim (disciples), immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." (CJB)

Here we see the Apostle James reiterating the need for obedience:

James 1:19. And you all be, my beloved Brothers, quick to hear and slow to speak, and slow to anger: 20. for the anger of man does not result in the righteousness of Elohim. 21. And so, throw all that is defiled and the myriads of evil things far away from yourselves and with meekness, receive the Word that is implanted in our nature which is able to resurrect your souls.

22. But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only; and do not deceive yourselves. 23. For if any man will be a hearer of the Word and not a doer of it, he will be like one who sees his face in a mirror: 24. for he sees himself and passes on and forgets what a man he was. 25. But everyone that looks upon the perfect Torah of liberty and lives fully in it, is not a hearer of something to be forgotten, but a doer of the things; and he will be blessed in his work.

26. And if anyone thinks that he worships Elohim and does not subdue his tongue, but his heart deceives him; his worship is desolate. 27. For the worship that is pure and Set Apart before Elohim the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction; and: that one keep himself without blemish from the world. (AENT)