What happens when a believer's soul and spirit depart from the body?
When a believer’s soul and spirit depart from the body, that departure puts the believer present with the Lord. Paul deals with this as being absent from the body and present with the Lord, treating it as settled and not a salvation issue but rather a matter of reward for believers’ service.
Les explains that Paul has been dealing with the departure of the soul and spirit from the body, which puts the believer present with the Lord. He says that whether we are present or absent—still here in this world or gone on to be with the Lord—that is beside the point and moot. Les emphasizes that these verses dealing with believers, almost from verse 1–13, are not dealing with salvation at all; they are totally in the area of reward for our living here in this life as believers. The admonition is that we are not just saved to escape hell fire, but saved to serve, and that is why He leaves us here. Les also notes that though loved ones may have left years ago, at the Resurrection or Rapture we will meet them as though we just saw them five minutes ago, because both arrive at the same destination at the same time.