"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13).

The above verse not only applies to those persons mentioned in the immediate context, but, to all true believers, all the children of God on this earth. They are justified by faith, live by faith, and eventually die in faith. By their faith they are persuaded of the promises of God to believing sinners, and by faith embrace those precious promises. Those precious promises, to true faith, are not mere words of doctrine received in a speculative way. They are substantive and real. Real enough to lift the heart above all the tangible, changing, perishing things of this present, evil world. Real enough to cause them to "confess that they are strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

To these people of faith, God and Christ, sin, guilt and condemnation, forgiveness, righteousness and justification, heaven and glory are real. They have truly embraced verities, realities and certainties. They have wrapped their empty and needy arms around verities, realities and certainties in Christ Jesus. Full of sin, they have embraced perfection. Full of shame, they have embraced eternal glory. Yes, faith makes precious and real, spiritual, invisible, heavenly persons and things (II Corinthians 4:16-18).