To join God's armed forces, God asks of his soldiers that everything precious to them be left behind—father, mother, wife, and even children. Everything must be counted loss. And the recruit must realize that sorrow and sufferings are guaranteed companions in the ensuing enlistment period. With such an extreme and high cost, why is it that countless multitudes of fighting men and women have counted it the highest privilege to serve this King in battle and gladly die for His fame to be spread? What is God giving His soldiers to cause them to forsake their bodies and blood for Him with such loving abandon? The answer to that question is the essence of the Gospel.