As I mentioned in a previous post, baptism is not necessary to gain salvation and go to heaven.
On the flipside, baptism is...get ready for this...an outward expression of your inner commitment. What that means is that baptism is just a ceremony in which Christians are publically proclaiming that they are children of God and will follow Him.
Now, it's important to remember this: baptism is not the indication of whether or not a person is a Christian. With our without baptism, a person can accept Christ. We view baptism simply as a time where their commitment is shown to the rest of the community and is celebrated with the church.
To answer the 2nd part of this question (how do I know I'm ready for baptism), ask yourself this: do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who died on the cross for your sins; who rose 3 days later as a triumphant victory and who has given you eternal life through the innocent blood of Christ?
If you fully believe that statement in your heart, #1, your life should have changed to reflect Jesus, #2, you are ready for baptism. It's really as simple as that.
[answered by Kelly J. Tam, baptized October 19th 2003]
