We have addressed this question before, but I have decided to answer it again because of the necessity of understanding it.  I would be to blame if I never answered this question.  To become a Christian is of the utmost importance.  When one is not a Christian he is not in the proper relationship with God, that is he is outside of the body of Christ, and is lost.  When one is a Christian (as the Bible defines it, not as we freely throw the term around today) then he will be part of the body of Christ, the tabernacle which no man, but the Lord only, pitched (Hebrews 8:2).  With this said, how does one enter such a relationship with God?
    First things first:  One cannot act upon something that he has never heard.  This is true in matters of religion as in anything else.  One could look to Romans 10:17, or Acts 8:31, and see the importance of hearing.  Let it be known that God, through the Holy Spirit or any other means, will not speak to you directly and lead you to do right, you are relying on your ability, and opportunities, to hear the Truth taught, as it is here.
    Second, one must act on what has been heard by accepting it as so.  Does this mean to naively believe everything?  No, it means to put proper effort into understanding something and making an informed decision based on what evidence you have (that is why I urge each of you to ask any questions that you can come up with) about what is taught in the Bible.  That is, “do you so believe in what God has done that you are willing to live for Him?”  Hebrews 11:6 is a great passage on this necessity.
    Third, one must repent of his sins.  Luke 13:3,5 plainly show the importance of repenting of one’s sins.  To repent is to turn from them.  It could be said that when you repent of sins you die to them, ever to strain to deny their place in your life.  Repentance is a 180-degree turn.
    Fourth, one must confess Christ before men.  We see this principle in Matthew 10:32,33, and we see it practiced in Acts 8:37 when the Ethiopian nobleman says, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
    Fifth, one must be baptized (the Greek word means immersion) for the remission of one’s sins (to have them taken away).  Acts 2:38 could not more plainly state the purpose of baptism, and yet you rarely see baptism for this purpose.  Many teach that salvation comes before baptism and that baptism is merely an outward sign of your inward salvation.  That would mean, based upon Acts 2:38 that you had Christians that had never had their sins taken away, ever, for the Bible does not say “believe,” or “confess,” or “let Jesus come into your heart” “for the remission of sins.”  The Bible simply says, and ONLY says, that happens at baptism.
    Finally, one must live faithfully (Revelation 2:10) until death.  This means that no longer will one return to the practice of sin, but will strive to be holy, complete (perfect in the New Testament, and pure).