Most of us have jumped into a conversation about something we never actually saw. Someone brings up the latest news story, and we add our thoughts based on a 15-second clip we scrolled past. We say, "I read the article," when what we really read was the headline. It seems like a small habit, but it points to something bigger: we talk a lot about things we haven't seen for ourselves. Proverbs 6 names "a false witness who pours out lies" as one of the things God hates, and it raises a question every follower of Jesus needs to answer: what am I telling people about God, and is it true? Click the link above to watch the full message.
What Does the Bible Mean by a False Witness?
We are in week six of our God Hates series, walking through Proverbs 6:16–19: "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community." The Hebrew word for "hates" means to stand in opposition to something, and "detestable" describes what is morally repulsive to God. That can sound harsh, so let's be clear about one thing. God doesn't hate you. God hates what is destroying you, the same way a parent hates the disease and not the child who has it.
Think about a surgeon and an attacker. Both may hold a knife, but one cuts to kill and the other cuts to heal. God is a skilled, sovereign surgeon, and a surgeon only operates on someone he is trying to save. That's why this series can sting a little. It's less of an "amen" series and more of an "ouch" series, but every hard word comes from a God who wants us whole.
A witness has one job: tell what they saw. A false witness says something that isn't true. In a courtroom that can ruin a life, and in our everyday conversations it can do the same kind of damage. But this verse also invites us to ask a deeper question, one that goes beyond whether we tell the truth about other people. What have you seen God do?
You're Already Telling People About God
Here is something that might surprise you. You're already telling people about God. The question is what you're telling them. Your words, your reactions and the way you handle a hard week all send a message about who God is and whether he can be trusted.
A taco spot in Escondido recently started getting national attention, and suddenly everyone in San Diego was posting about it. None of those people were trained chefs or professional food critics. They weren't writing reviews about technique or ingredients. They were just saying, "I had it. It's good. You've got to try it." That's what a witness is. You don't need to know everything; you just need to have tasted it. Psalm 34:8 puts it this way: "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
Before Jesus went back to heaven, he told his followers in Acts 1:8, "You will be my witnesses." He didn't say you should be or you might be. He said you will be. If you follow Jesus, you are a witness, and you don't need a Bible degree to do it well. When Jesus healed a man who had been born blind, the religious leaders grilled him with questions he couldn't answer, so he simply said, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (John 9:25). He didn't have a program, a theology class or a polished speech. He told what he knew. Where has God provided for you, healed you, forgiven you or carried you? That's your testimony.
Why Do We Forget What God Has Done?
Being a witness sounds simple, but there's a problem. Sometimes we see God do something incredible, and a week later we act like it never happened. You can see God move on a Sunday and doubt him by Wednesday. If that's you, you're in good company.
The disciples had the best seat in the house. For three years they watched Jesus heal the sick, calm a storm and raise a little girl from the dead. Then a crowd of 5,000 hungry people gathered, and Jesus asked Philip where they could buy bread. Philip ran the numbers and said, "It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Andrew found a boy with five small loaves and two fish but wondered, "How far will they go among so many?" (John 6:7–9). Jesus fed everyone, and there were 12 baskets left over.
You would think that would settle it. But a little while later, facing another hungry crowd, the disciples asked, "Where could anyone get enough bread?" (Mark 8:4). Jesus responded, "Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?" (Mark 8:18). That's us. God comes through, we praise him on Sunday, and by Wednesday we're panicking like he's never done anything. When we live like God won't come through, our lives tell a story about him that isn't true. But notice what Jesus did next. He didn't fire his disciples. He fed the crowd anyway, both times, because he is more patient with us than we are with ourselves.
More Than 500 Eyewitnesses Saw Jesus Alive
We forget and we doubt, but our forgetting doesn't change what God has done. The tomb is still empty, and Jesus made sure there would be more than enough witnesses to prove it. After he rose from the dead, he didn't hide. He appeared to Mary Magdalene, to two followers on the road to Emmaus and to his disciples several times. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:6, "After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living." In other words, don't just take my word for it. Go ask them.
There's a false version of this story too, and his name is Peter. The night Jesus was arrested, Peter denied three times that he even knew him. In that moment he was a false witness. But after the resurrection, Jesus found Peter, forgave him and gave him a fresh start. A few weeks later, that same Peter stood before the religious leaders and said, "As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).
That's how good God is. He doesn't wait for you to get it right before he loves you. He forgives the forgetful, restores the ones who ran and turns them into witnesses. Today we are living in the proof of what ordinary witnesses can do, because those first followers kept telling what they saw. Jesus didn't rise from the dead so you could keep it a secret.
How to Share Your Testimony Without Being Perfect
You don't have to be perfect to be a witness. The disciples forgot, and Peter ran, yet God still used them to change the world. Your story doesn't need to be dramatic or polished. It just needs to be true.
This week, take a few minutes with three simple questions. What have I seen God do? What have I forgotten? Who needs to hear it? Write down a few moments when God came through for you, and then tell one person about one of them. You might be surprised how much a simple "Here's what God did for me" can open a door.
If you're not sure you've seen God do anything yet, that's okay. The invitation is still the same: taste and see that the Lord is good. We'd love to have you join us at Discover Church in San Marcos, where we meet Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at Mission Hills High School.
Questions for Reflection
What is one thing you have seen God do in your life that you could tell someone this week?
What story is your life telling people about God right now?
Who in your life needs to hear what you've seen?
Further Resources
Discover Church is a new life-giving church in San Marcos, CA, meeting at Mission Hills High School. Our mission is to help you follow Jesus, find community, and discover your purpose so you and your family can win at what matters most. Plan your visit this Sunday
