My Sabbath Experience in the Army

Slawomir Gromadzki

We need to understand why before the return of our Lord, the Sabbath will become such a great issue. It is because, by keeping the Sabbath, we confess that we accept salvation in Christ and rest in Him by faith alone.

On the other hand, by breaking the Sabbath we demonstrate that we reject salvation through faith in Christ. And that is why Satan will persecute God’s people and try to force them to reject the Sabbath, which is the seal of righteousness by faith, and instead accept Sunday, which represents salvation by works and the mark of the beast.

That is also why Satan has already inspired various influential people, politicians and popes to encourage Christians, to place greater importance on Sunday.

Back in Poland, even while the country was still under communist rule, Roman Catholicism remained very strong because of the influence of John Paul II. It was therefore very easy to have Sundays free, as even the communists generally did not work on that day, but it was very difficult to keep the Sabbath. Let me give you an example from my own experience.

In the autumn of 1983, shortly after I had learned the truth about the Sabbath from the book The Great Controversy and had been deeply impressed by the truths I discovered in its pages, I was conscripted into the Polish army, where I was required to serve for two years. Especially during the first six months, it was a very difficult time.

At that time I was not yet a Seventh-day Adventist. I only knew the truth, and the only things I took with me to the army were my Bible and The Great Controversy by Ellen White. I realised that the author of The Great Controversy was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, so I found a local Adventist church in the city where my military unit was stationed.

READ ABOUT MY CONVERSION STORY

I felt so welcomed in that church that, from time to time, I was even willing to risk attending without an official pass. If I had been caught, I could have been arrested and even imprisoned. But, thank God, I never had any problems.

One day a major, who was a committed communist and the second-in-command of the unit, saw me walking by. He stopped me and asked what I was carrying in my hand. I replied, “My Bible and a Sabbath School lesson.”

He thought for a moment and then said, “You are not allowed to talk to anyone about what it says.”

What happened next was very strange, and I have never forgotten it. As he was giving me that order, he kept looking down. Here was a high-ranking officer, an influential communist, second only to the commanding officer of the entire unit. Yet although I was only an ordinary private, I found myself looking him straight in the eyes.

And guess what I did. Did I obey his order?

No.

Not because I was naturally brave, but because when you give your heart to Jesus, He gives you courage. I felt no fear at all and soon forgot everything that communist officer had told me. As a result of my witnessing, one soldier—who before my conversion would probably have been even wilder than I was—became a deeply devoted follower of Jesus.

On another occasion, a large group of new recruits was due to arrive at our unit. I had been assigned the main responsibility for registering them, writing down their names, and giving them instructions.

And guess on which day this was scheduled to take place?

On the Sabbath.

By then I was fully convinced of the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy, so I decided that I would not break the fourth commandment. Since I was not yet a Seventh-day Adventist, I could not even claim church membership as a reason for refusing to work. But even if I had been a member, it would not have helped. I knew of one Adventist soldier who had spent a long time in military prison simply because he refused to perform his duties on the Sabbath.

This time my heart began to beat faster as I thought about the possibility of going to prison. But I prayed and made my decision. No matter what happened, on Sabbath morning I would not leave the large sleeping quarters.

About twenty soldiers usually slept in that room, but on that particular Sabbath morning I was the only one left. Everyone else had already gone.

I spent the day praying and reading my Bible. Satan kept tempting me with fearful thoughts about the consequences of my decision, but God gave me enough courage to remain where I was.

And guess what happened?

I truly believe it was a miracle.

Although I was supposed to be the key person responsible for receiving the new recruits, it seemed as though everyone in the entire military unit had forgotten about me. It was as if God had temporarily erased me from their memories. Throughout the whole Sabbath, no one called for me or even asked where I was.

Then, immediately after sunset, I heard a loud voice from the corridor:

“Private Gromadzki, report to the commanding officer!”

The moment I heard those words, it felt as though my heart had moved from my chest into my throat. I thought, “Well, if the commanding officer is calling me now, I am certainly going to be severely punished for my disobedience.” Yet, at the same time, I was glad that the Sabbath was over. I was thankful that I had not broken it, and I thought, “Whatever happens now is in God’s hands.”

When I entered his office and reported to him, another remarkable thing happened. He looked at me as though he was angry and ready to rebuke me. I was certain that someone had informed him about what I had done. But, strangely enough, instead of punishing me or even scolding me, he simply ordered me, in a stern voice, to go to another room and prepare some drawings on a military training map.

I quietly went to the other room, breathed a huge sigh of relief, and for the first time that day I smiled. With great joy I thanked God for that miracle and for sparing me from punishment.