Purpose: We all find it difficult to hate the sin, but still love the sinner. It's confusing to know how we should behave! This exercise illustrates that we can't change the bad habits of nonbelievers apart from Christ.
Activity: Start by recruiting a volunteer—for the sake of convenience we'll call him Joe—and then instruct him to play dead. I usually give my volunteer a slouchy hat, a comfortable chair, and instructions to not move or breathe. "Well, breathe if you must," I say, "but keep your eyes closed and don't move a muscle."
"Now," I instruct the group, "I have some sad news. Joe here is a hopeless alcoholic. I want you to convince him to stop drinking." Then invite group members to come and talk with Joe about his behavior. They can do anything they like to convince him to stop drinking.
Usually you will have several group members willing to play along, and the silly futility of their attempts will be more than convincing. Joe is dead! We must first bring him to life (in Christ), and then we can worry about his habits.
This is an excellent way to help people understand that we don't witness by attacking behavior, but by offering the way from death to life.
Discussion questions
[Q] Have you ever had someone attempt to argue you away from a specific habit or behavior? How did you feel on the inside? How did you react on the outside?
[Q] Have you ever gained victory over a habitual sin or destructive habit? What processes led to that kind of transformation?
[Q] In what ways do you remember Jesus addressing the sinful behavior of the people he encountered?
