How can someone be righteous and still sinful?

The concept of righteousness in the believer's life can be understood through 2 Corinthians 5:21, where it teaches that Christ was made sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This means that while we are inherently sinful and fall short in our actions (Romans 3:23), God views believers as righteous because of Christ's sacrifice. Thus, our standing before God is not based on our works but on faith in Christ's completed work. This truth provides both assurance of salvation and an encouragement to pursue holiness, as we are called to live out our identity in Christ.