Are Christians who passed away asleep? Or in heaven?

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:43

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

I am not trying to start anything, just wondering what you guys think? Jesus tells the thief who repents that they will be together in paradise that day. In 1 Thessalonians, it says the dead in Christ will rise and those alive will meet in the clouds together.

Are those in paradise right now just spirit and will have their bodies transformed only then?