The spirit immediately leaves the body and enters an eternal state
According to the New Testament, when a person dies, their spirit immediately leaves the body and enters an eternal state either with Christ or separated from Him while awaiting the final resurrection and judgment. The Bible is very clear that there is no “sleep of the soul”; the body sleeps, but the spirit is conscious. The saved go immediately to be with Christ—“absent from the body, present with the Lord.” Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV), “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord,” showing that the moment a believer’s spirit leaves the body, it goes directly into Christ’s presence. Jesus affirmed this to the thief on the cross in Luke 23:43 (NKJV): “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise,” indicating immediate entrance into His presence. This truth is also seen clearly in the death of Stephen, who, while being stoned, looked up to heaven and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59), revealing that his spirit left his body instantly and went directly to Jesus. Ecclesiastes 12:7 confirms this principle by stating that “the spirit returns to God who gave it,” while the body returns to the earth. In contrast, the unsaved go immediately to a place of torment. Jesus’ account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:22–23 (NIV) shows the rich man awake, aware, and in torment immediately after death, long before the final judgment. There is no second chance after death, as Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) declares, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” meaning that one’s eternal destination is fixed when life ends. After death comes the resurrection: both the righteous and the wicked will be resurrected, but at different times. Jesus taught in John 5:28–29 (NKJV) that some will rise to “the resurrection of life” and others to “the resurrection of condemnation.” Believers will receive glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:52), while the lost will be resurrected to face the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). Immediately after death, the spirit of the saved leaves the body, goes directly to Christ, enters Paradise, is received by Jesus as Stephen was, returns to God who gave it, and awaits the resurrection of the righteous. The spirit of the unsaved goes to conscious torment, has no second chance, and awaits the resurrection of the wicked and final judgment. There is instant awareness, instant separation, and instant destination.