These things must all happen before the act of baptism, which is really a public expression and testimony that all the above have become true in your life, that you’ve not just acknowledged Jesus as King and Savior but have submitted to changing your heart and behavior to reject the old life and conform to the new.

This is essentially the meaning of Peter’s final statement in Acts 2:40, “…Be saved from this perverse generation!” He’s saying that you must set yourself apart from this world and its ways by changing not just your beliefs but your behavior, becoming obedient to Christ in your heart, mind, and soul and thus different from the rest.