The Holy Spirit is a gift that God is pleased to grant us at the time of our spiritual rebirth. Through baptism we receive forgiveness of our sins and the seal of the Holy Spirit. "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38).

The onset of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of the spiritual life for the believer. The Holy Spirit lives in his heart "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16) and by its work transforms us in the image and likeness of Christ "..we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit" (II Corinthians 3:18).

The same Spirit with which God anointed Christ for the fulfilment of His redemptive work, allows us to continue the mission of salvation first began by Jesus himself, conscious of the divine presence dwelling within us.

When Jesus was close to returning to heaven, he saw that his disciples were very sad. To comfort them, Christ made a great promise: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you" (John 14:16,17). Up to then, it had been Jesus himself who rescued, encouraged, comforted and guided them. But now he was about to be glorified and enthroned as heavenly king and he did not want to leave them as "orphans".

At the Jewish feast of Pentecost, a few days after Christ's ascension to heaven, this great promise was fulfilled. In a supernatural manner the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and they began to preach. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. When the good news of salvation was proclaimed by the apostles for the first time, thousands of people from many parts of the world were touched by the truth. They believed in Jesus Christ as Savior and they accepted him becoming followers of Christ: Christians. "The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch" (Acts 11:26)