The song “No Turning Back,” by Gaise Baba featuring Lawrence Oyor, has emerged as the highest-charting gospel song of 2025. Its title and some of its lyrics might evoke a sense of familiarity, as many of us have sung the well-known hymn, titled “I have decided to follow Jesus”. However, like many impactful songs, this song carries a profound backstory that adds significant depth to its message. Today, we will delve into the story behind this inspiring hymn, exploring the experiences behind it.

About 150 years ago, there was a major revival in Wales. Because of that, a bunch of missionaries headed to north-east India to share the Gospel. The area called Assam was made up of lots of tribes that were pretty rough and known for their head-hunting ways.

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Right into these tough communities came a group of missionaries from the American Baptist Missions and unsurprisingly, they didn’t exactly get a warm welcome.

One missionary managed to convert a man, his wife, and their two kids. This guy’s new faith started to catch on, and soon, a bunch of villagers began to embrace Christianity.

Furious about this, the village chief called everyone together. He demanded that the family who converted publicly renounce their faith or face execution. Feeling the Holy Spirit move within him, the man boldly declared, “I have decided to follow Jesus.”

The chief was furious when the man refused to back down, so he ordered his archers to shoot his kids. As they lay on the ground, twitching, the chief taunted the man, saying, “You’ve lost both your kids. You’ll lose your wife too if you don’t change your mind.”

But the man stood his ground and this only made the chief angrier. He commanded his archers to take out the man’s wife, and just like that, she joined their children in death. The chief offered one last chance for him to deny his faith but he declined.

He was shot dead along with the rest of his family. But something incredible happened because of their deaths. The chief who had ordered the killings was struck by the man’s faith. He thought, “Why would this guy, his wife, and two kids die for someone who lived so long ago, halfway around the world? There must be something really powerful behind their faith, and I want to experience that too.”

In a moment of sincerity, he announced his faith in Jesus. When the villagers heard their chief say this, everyone in the village decided to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

As we gather together to sing the song whether it’s the traditional hymn or the lively rhythms of the AfroGospel piece, we must remember that life sometimes presents us with difficult challenges. In those moments of adversity, it becomes even more crucial to hold onto our faith. Let us reaffirm our commitment to Jesus, ensuring that no matter how tough the circumstances may become, we shall not waver in our devotion to Him or deny Him.