There is a true story of a small village in India, and in this village, there was a family that came to a saving faith in Christ Jesus, the Messiah. This caused a serious agitation in the village and everyone in the village became so obsessed, that an angry mob, gathered them and shot them into the public square.
Then, the village confronted them and said to the man; if you and your family will not renounce your faith, you all will die today.
The man didn't know what to say or even do. He was awed with the action of the people. The only thing that came to his mind which he said was, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back".
With that, horrifically, right in his face with his wife, they watched their children killed.
He was then given another chance and now, with his wife's life on the line. Then he went on to say; "though no one joins me, still I will follow".
As you may expect, so also was his wife executed.
After her death, he was given a last chance; this time, to save himself. However, he sang on; "the cross before me, the world behind me... no turning back.". And he was also executed as he sang on.
Though he and his family had been executed, something remarkable happened that day.
A seed was planted in the heart of the village chief and that seed grew overtime and eventually, he called the village together in that very same neighborhood and the same square. Right there and then, he renounced his former faith and declared his allegiance to Jesus Christ. The celebration experienced in the village that moment was heavenly and thereafter, the gospel kept flourishing and growing in the community and to the entire region because they had seen real faith and they knew the true character of God (LOVE) because of a family that believed and sacrificed their lives, even under the penalty of death. And that was how the popular the popular Christian hymn, "I have decided to follow Jesus" was birthed to life in Assam, India.
CAN YOU DO THE SAME IF IN THE SAME SITUATION?
As Christians, we are not saved just to be safe; we are saved to save others. How we are made to do so is what differs. Moreover, next time you sing, sing with lyrical understanding.
GET UNDERSTANDING!
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