Baptism
Baptism will not get somebody into Heaven. The only way you will get into Heaven is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. You must confess with your lips and believe this in your heart. Check out the Salvation page to read more about what gets you into Heaven.
Now that we cleared that up, Baptism is an outward act of obedience that people perform to symbolize their new life and direction because of their recent Salvation. It is an act that God himself commands all new believers to do in order to symbolize their new found life in Christ. Baptism, according to the Bible should always be done by complete immersion.
More recently, churches are starting to "Dedicate" babies to be brought up in a Christian environment, rather than Baptize them, and there are a number of reasons for this:
1. Baptism and Salvation are choices that each individual can only make on their own, so an infant would be too young to comprehend what is going on.
2. Baptism is not Salvation. In the past it was believed that if new born babies were not Baptized and they died, that they were going to Hell. The truth is, God protects all children until they are old enough to understand and make a decision to accept or reject the Christian faith in Jesus. This is often referred to as the Age of Accountability. (No known age, most like varies on a child by child basis).
If we read 2 Samuel 12:22, we will find this in the story of King David and the death of his son. The word says "He answered, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought 'Who know? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." David's words indicate that his son is in Heaven because one day he will go to be with his son. His son obviously being too young to make a choice of faith has been saved by the Grace of God.
3. Sprinkling water on the head of a baby is not Baptism, according to the Bible. The only form of Baptism you will find in the Bible is complete immersion. Since it is not very safe to completely submerge a baby into water, sprinkling became the form of infant Baptism, which was part of the domino effect resulting from the false belief that un-Baptized babies go to Hell. (You can see how easy it is to fall into a religious routine of doing things that are not supported by the Bible, no matter how much they appear to be).
Traditionally, people of the Bible were Baptized the day they received Salvation.
Galatians 3:26-27, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were Baptized into Christ have clothed yourself in Christ."
Acts 2:38, "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.