No Turning Back
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Let me share with you the incredible and true story of the well-known hymn, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus."
In the 1800s, a significant revival in Wales inspired many missionaries. Through them, the gospel reached Northeast India, specifically in the region of Assam, which was home to hundreds of aggressive tribes known as head hunters. Despite facing severe opposition, the missionaries persevered in sharing the gospel with these tribes.
Eventually, one missionary witnessed his first converts in a particularly brutal village. A husband and wife, along with their two children, professed their faith in Christ and were baptized. Following this, many villagers began to turn to Jesus.
Upon hearing this, the furious chief of the village called together all the villagers. He decided to make an example out of the husband. He insisted that the father abandon his faith in Christ, or see his wife and children murdered.
When the father refused, his two children were executed by archers. The chief once again demanded the man deny his faith to spare his wife. Given another chance to forsake his faith, the man stood firm and his wife was killed.
When this man refused one last time he too was shot and he died along with every other member of his family.
Witnesses later recounted the story to the Welsh missionary who had initially shared the gospel and witnessed the conversion of this family. The reports said that when asked to deny Christ or see his children murdered, the man said: “I have decided to follow Jesus, and there is no turning back.” When his children were killed, he said, “The world can be behind me, but the cross is still before me." After seeing his wife pierced by the arrows, he said, “Though no one is here to go with me, still I will follow Jesus.”
Upon his return to the village, the missionary found that a revival had occurred, and those who had murdered the first converts had come to faith in Jesus themselves, beginning with the chief. The chief was troubled by the faith of this man and wanted to know his Jesus.
The Welsh missionary shared reports with Sandhu Sundar Singh, a well-known Indian evangelist. Singh became famous in India for training foreign missionaries. He encouraged missionaries coming to India to focus on the core message of the gospel.
Singh took the last words of the martyr and turned them into traditional Indian music, creating one of the first Indian hymns. The song quickly became popular in Indian churches and is still widely used in worship today.
In 1958, the Baptist hymnologist William J. Reynolds discovered this song. He arranged the melody and published it in the Assembly Songbook in 1959.
As I reflect on the story behind "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus," I'm struck by the profound courage and unwavering faith of the man who endured such unimaginable loss. His commitment to Christ, even in the face of death, serves as a powerful reminder of the strength that faith can bring amidst the deepest trials.
This hymn challenges us to examine our own faith—are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, no matter the cost?
In a world that often tries to distract us from our beliefs, may we hold onto the sentiment of this hymn and, like the martyr, say with conviction, "Though no one is here to go with me, still I will follow Jesus."
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
In the 1800s, a significant revival in Wales inspired many missionaries. Through them, the gospel reached Northeast India, specifically in the region of Assam, which was home to hundreds of aggressive tribes known as head hunters. Despite facing severe opposition, the missionaries persevered in sharing the gospel with these tribes.
Eventually, one missionary witnessed his first converts in a particularly brutal village. A husband and wife, along with their two children, professed their faith in Christ and were baptized. Following this, many villagers began to turn to Jesus.
Upon hearing this, the furious chief of the village called together all the villagers. He decided to make an example out of the husband. He insisted that the father abandon his faith in Christ, or see his wife and children murdered.
When the father refused, his two children were executed by archers. The chief once again demanded the man deny his faith to spare his wife. Given another chance to forsake his faith, the man stood firm and his wife was killed.
When this man refused one last time he too was shot and he died along with every other member of his family.
Witnesses later recounted the story to the Welsh missionary who had initially shared the gospel and witnessed the conversion of this family. The reports said that when asked to deny Christ or see his children murdered, the man said: “I have decided to follow Jesus, and there is no turning back.” When his children were killed, he said, “The world can be behind me, but the cross is still before me." After seeing his wife pierced by the arrows, he said, “Though no one is here to go with me, still I will follow Jesus.”
Upon his return to the village, the missionary found that a revival had occurred, and those who had murdered the first converts had come to faith in Jesus themselves, beginning with the chief. The chief was troubled by the faith of this man and wanted to know his Jesus.
The Welsh missionary shared reports with Sandhu Sundar Singh, a well-known Indian evangelist. Singh became famous in India for training foreign missionaries. He encouraged missionaries coming to India to focus on the core message of the gospel.
Singh took the last words of the martyr and turned them into traditional Indian music, creating one of the first Indian hymns. The song quickly became popular in Indian churches and is still widely used in worship today.
In 1958, the Baptist hymnologist William J. Reynolds discovered this song. He arranged the melody and published it in the Assembly Songbook in 1959.
As I reflect on the story behind "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus," I'm struck by the profound courage and unwavering faith of the man who endured such unimaginable loss. His commitment to Christ, even in the face of death, serves as a powerful reminder of the strength that faith can bring amidst the deepest trials.
This hymn challenges us to examine our own faith—are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, no matter the cost?
In a world that often tries to distract us from our beliefs, may we hold onto the sentiment of this hymn and, like the martyr, say with conviction, "Though no one is here to go with me, still I will follow Jesus."
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
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