No Turning Back

In the mid-1800s, Scottish missionary William Cowan faithfully served in India—preaching the gospel, planting churches, establishing schools, and bringing health and literacy programs to the region. He felt called to share the gospel with the Naga people in north east India. He painstakingly learned the local language and began to share the hope of Christ. Though met with harsh initial resistance and language barriers, Cowan’s patient dedication eventually led many among the Naga people to experience life-changing faith in Christ. 

Among those early believers was a courageous man whose name history does not record, but whose testimony speaks to us over the ages. When tribal leaders grew furious over the spread of the gospel, they brought him and his family forward, demanding they renounce their faith under pain of death.  

Remaining steadfast, he declared the now-famous words, “I have decided to follow Jesus.” Even as his wife and children were killed before his eyes, he stood firm, giving birth to the line, “Though none go with me, still I will follow,” before laying down his own life for His Saviour. 

His ultimate sacrifice perfectly mirrors Christ’s solemn reminder in John 15:18: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.” Out of the deep anguish and unshakable conviction of this lone man came a spiritual heritage that would eventually touch millions across every corner of the globe. 

Translated into English in the 1960s and subsequently adapted into dozens of languages worldwide, this simple anthem remains one of the most powerful gifts given to the global Body of Christ. Now that you know the remarkable courage behind these lines, take a moment today to ponder afresh the timeless cost and beauty of saying: “I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.”