The Christian hymn “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” has its origins in India, specifically in the last words spoken by a man from th Garo tribe in Assam.
Approximately 150 years ago, a religious revival occurred in Wales, leading to the arrival of numerous missionaries in northeast India with the intention of spreading the Gospel. This region, known as Assam, was inhabited by numerous tribes that were both primitive and aggressive headhunters.
In the midst of these hostile and aggressive communities, a group of missionaries from the American Baptist Missions arrived, spreading the message of love, peace, and hope in Jesus Christ.
Unsurprisingly, they faced a cold reception. However, one missionary managed to convert a man, his wife, and their two children. The faith of this man proved to be infectious, and many villagers began to embrace Christianity.
Enraged by this, the village chief gathered all the villagers and demanded that the family who had first converted renounce their faith publicly or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man declared, “I have decided to follow Jesus.”
Infuriated by his refusal, the chief commanded his archers to shoot down the two children. As the boys lay twitching on the ground, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.”
Undeterred, the man replied, “Though no one joins me, still I will follow.”
Consumed by fury, the chief then ordered his wife to be shot with arrows. In an instant, she joined her two children in death. The chief, giving one final chance, asked, “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.” Despite facing imminent death, the man uttered the memorable final lines: “The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back.”
The man, along with his family, was shot dead. However, their deaths had a profound impact. The chief, who had ordered the executions, was deeply moved by their unwavering faith. He pondered, “Why would this man, his wife, and their children die for a Man who lived in a distant land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be an extraordinary power behind their faith, and I too want to experience that faith.”
In a spontaneous confession of faith, the chief declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!” Upon hearing this from their chief, the entire village embraced Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The song “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” is based on the last words of Nokseng, a man from the Garo tribe in Assam, India, and it has become a significant song for the Garo people.
Additional research reveals that the hymn was attributed to Sadhu Sundar Singh, an Indian missionary. The melody is also of Indian origin, and it is titled “Assam” after the region where the lyrics originated. William Jensen Reynolds, an American hymn editor, composed an arrangement of the hymn, which was included in the 1959 Assembly Songbook.
There is an alternative tradition that credits Simon Marak from Jorhat, Assam, as the author of the hymn.
The hymn, with its simple yet powerful lyrics, echoes the resolute determination of Nokseng, the Garo martyr, as he and his family embraced their faith in the face of death:
I have decided to follow Jesus (x3) No turning back, no turning back.
Though no one joins me, still I will follow (x3) No turning back, no turning back.
The cross before me, the world behind me (x3) No turning back, no turning back.
