Understanding the bible: "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good." 3 John 11

We all discern but we also act by imitation. This is why the apostle John in his third letter reminds us: "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God." 3 John 11.
The apostle tells us that those who do evil have not seen God, the apostle refers to this because those who do evil do not perceive the mercy, the wisdom and the divine blessedness with their minds.
Good and evil are ways of perceiving, of capturing reality: "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted." Titus 1:15

Examples in life help us to follow a path, this is why the example of Jesus is so important: "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children.", Ephesians 5:1.
To imitate God or imitate Jesus, in the bible although in general terms it can mean to proceed or act in a certain situation with mercy (compassion, benevolence, benedicence, amiability) or piety (constancy, firmness, devotion, equanimity, stability), with precision it means the spiritual gift of righteousness, the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", Matthew 7:12.
Instead evil is all omission of good: "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them", James 4:17.
Jesus in the gospels gives us numerous parables that exemplify what it means to imitate God; for example the father in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, that teaches us what it means to act with mercy. Or the parable of the good samaritan, who explains with his example what the path of righteousness means. Imitating God is the same beatitude and the path to spiritual enlightenment, as explained in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23 and Mark 4:1-20), those who bear fruit are those who acquire wisdom, retain it, and put it into practice with constancy.
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