Or must you believe on his name? I read the KJV and have trouble with this. At the end of the Gospel According to John it says that the signs written about are there so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name. The reading can be tricky unless I'm just being very careful about it, but it seems along with what is written about in John 3 it might be necessary to believe on his name, ie. it's not enough to just believe in Jesus. I think this is important. I also think this subject is important for recognizing that the KJV is the Holy Bible to be read as it's the most reasonable (the standard red letter edition, in my opinion) and if you believed through another Bible you might not actually be believing on his name since something could be changed.
John 20:31 states those who believe in Jesus
MIGHT have life through his name. Many believe in Jesus. yet have not had their sins remitted. Scripture reveals sins are remitted upon belief and obedience to God's command of water baptism administered in the name of Jesus.
Those who believe in Jesus and His lifegiving sacrifice repent and submit to water baptism
in the name of Jesus for remission of their sin. (Acts 2:38-42) The connection between the name of Jesus and remission of one's sins is found in the Acts 10 account as well:
"To him give all the prophets witness, that
through his name whosoever believeth in him
shall receive remission of sins...
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
And
he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." Acts 10:43, 47-48
The account of Apostle Paul's water baptism confirms the same:
"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and
be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts 22:16
The biblical record is explicit concerning the NT water baptism. Apostles administered water baptism in only one way; in the name of Jesus. This is because it was Jesus who was crucified for all mankind. And the spiritual reality of being buried with Him takes place in obedience to God's water baptism command. (Acts 2:4-41, 8:12-18, 9:17-18, 10:43-48, 19:1-7, 22:16, Rom. 6:3-6, Col. 2:12)