In our day of superficial commitments and spiritual apostasy, we find a rich testimony of faith behind the true story that inspired the song, “I have decided to follow Jesus.”

Over 150 plus years ago, there was a great revival in Wales; as a result, missionaries traveled to India to spread the Gospel. The region known as Assam was full of hundreds of tribes who were primitive headhunters. As these missionaries spread the Gospel, many were being saved, which threatened the leadership and the culture.

 

One chief became angry when a man and his family contagiously shared their new faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. The whole village was being impacted by the Gospel, and the village chief was furious. The man, his wife, and two children were taken into custody and placed in the village center. The village archers were commanded to draw upon the children, and the chief demanded that the man renounce his faith. The man’s response: “I have decided to follow Jesus.” The village chief ordered the death of the children, and the arrows flew.

 

Next, the chief said, “Perhaps you will not deny your faith for the lives of your children; how about your wife?” The man replied, “though no one joins me, still I will follow.” The chief ordered the archers to kill the wife, and she fell dead beside her children. The chief then said, “I will give you one more chance to deny your faith and live. The man said, “The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back.” The man was shot dead like the rest of his family.

 

But their deaths were not in vain. The chief was so moved by the faith and devotion of the man and his family that he was moved to ask the question, “Why should this man, his wife, and children die for a man that lived so far away and over 2000 years ago? There must be some kind of power behind this faith, and I want to taste of that faith.”

 

In response to the confession and devotion of the man and his family, the chief said, “I too belong to Jesus Christ.” When the crowd heard this come out of the chief’s mouth, the whole village accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The martyr’s name was Nokseng, a man from the Garo tribe of Assam, India.
Following God requires a determined devotion that will not turn away when life becomes hard, or God demands more than what you think is reasonable. Following God requires a fully surrendered life.

 

Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” (Luke 9:23–24, NASB95)

 

What have you decided? Are you willing to lose all for the sake of the Gospel? Follow Jesus and live!