As far as forgiveness of sins goes, Jesus Christ becomes our righteousness but He didn’t do a substitutionary water baptism for us. He paid the penalty that we were due. In that sense He fulfilled a righteousness that we can’t do.
I think Jesus does believe we can be perfect, thus there’s a reason why we walk in new life, consciously choosing to obey God or disobey God every day. Clearly God expects us to do righteousness things ourselves.
Matthew 5:44-48
44But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45That
ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more
than others? do not even the publicans so?
48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
In order to “put on Christ” water baptism is required. I get it, it’s a physical action and you seem to have a problem with that, but I don’t think God has a problem with us actually having to be obedient to Him because we live on a physical world where physical actions are required.
Born again children of God by faith and water baptism:
Galatians 3:26,27
26For ye are all the children of God by
faith in Christ Jesus.
27For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Born again children of God by faith and water baptism:
John 3:5
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Born again children of God by faith and water baptism:
John 1:12,13
12But as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that
believe on his name:
13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
To receive Jesus means to receive everything about Him, including the things He said, and all of His commandments such as water baptism.
Perhaps Acts 19 is a good example of how faith alone does not impart the Holy Spirit on someone, but rather faith and water baptism into Christ:
Acts 19:1-7
1And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2He said unto them,
Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6And when Paul had laid
his hands upon them,
the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7And all the men were about twelve.