What happens to our spirit after we die according to the Bible?

The Bible teaches that upon death, the spirits of believers are received into heaven, where they are in the presence of Christ. In Luke 23:43, Jesus assured the thief on the cross, 'Today you will be with me in paradise,' which confirms that believers go directly into the presence of the Lord after death. This promise continues into Paul's teaching that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Thus, Christians have the hope and assurance that their spirits are secured in the hands of Jesus, awaiting the resurrection of their bodies.