What does the Bible say about being present with the Lord after death?

According to 2 Corinthians 5:8, the Apostle Paul expresses a profound confidence about the state of believers after death, stating, 'to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.' This reinforces the Reformed belief that death for a Christian is not an end but a transition into an immediate spiritual presence with Christ. The death of a believer is characterized as an entry into eternal joy and fellowship with God, contrasting with the views of soul sleep or purgatory held by other theological perspectives. The assurance rests on the completed work of Christ, which guarantees that at death, believers are welcomed into heavenly glory.