Review and Reflections from Andrew Comiskey’s LWLT Teaching
Overview
In his teaching on Holy Fear, Andrew Comiskey highlights a sacred truth often lost in modern Christianity: the fear of the Lord is not about dread or punishment but about deep reverence, awe, and love for God. Holy fear anchors believers in humility and obedience, keeping our hearts pure and tender before Him. It is the awareness that God is infinitely holy, powerful, and worthy of all our devotion — and that our lives are to be lived in His sight.
Key Points
- Fear of the Lord vs. Fear of Man
- Andy contrasts holy fear with human fear.
- Fear of man leads to compromise, people-pleasing, and sin.
- Fear of the Lord leads to holiness, wisdom, and freedom.
- When we fear God rightly, we are freed from needing others’ approval.
- Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
- Holy Fear as Love’s Restraint
- Holy fear keeps us from sin not because we’re afraid of punishment, but because we love God too much to grieve Him.
- It’s the trembling awareness that His Spirit lives in us — and that our choices can either honor or wound His heart.
- This fear is rooted in relationship, not in terror.
- A Sign of Maturity
- Andy explains that mature believers live with a balance of intimacy and awe.
- We can call God “Abba” yet still fall on our faces in reverence.
- Holy fear keeps us from spiritual pride and presumption.
- It deepens our worship and fuels obedience in hidden places where no one sees but God.
- The Church Needs Holy Fear Restored
- Andy often laments how the Church has lost its sense of reverence.
- Without holy fear, grace becomes “cheap,” sin becomes casual, and worship becomes self-centered.
- Holy fear restores the weight of God’s presence — a recognition that He is both merciful and just.
- Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira) demonstrates how holy fear purifies and strengthens the body of Christ.
- The Fruit of Holy Fear
- Leads to repentance, purity, and unity.
- Produces wisdom and discernment in leadership.
- Releases the presence and power of God in our gatherings.
- Makes our hearts tender and obedient, sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Personal Reflection from the Training
During the session, Andy’s humility stood out as he spoke about living with a trembling love before God — a love that shapes all his decisions. For the first time, I saw fear not as something oppressive but as something beautiful — “a fear that keeps me close to Jesus.”
My Testimony
The Lord used my broken engagement as the doorway to seek healing from rejection. I thought that was the only area He wanted to touch, but as I went through the Living Waters 30-week program, I realized He desired something far deeper — not just my healing from rejection, but the transformation of my whole being.
It was during this journey that I began to encounter what Andrew Comiskey calls the Holy Fear of the Lord. At first, I thought healing was only about comfort, acceptance, and emotional restoration. But the Lord was showing me that true healing includes coming to know Him in His holiness — to tremble before His purity and to respond with repentance and reverence.
As the layers of my heart were peeled away, I began to see how brokenness had shaped my choices. I was able to bounce back from my failed engagement, but soon after, I found myself in another wrong relationship. I knew it was not pleasing to God, yet I kept rationalizing it — telling myself that I deserved love, that God would understand. I was living in duplicity.
I was “pious and holy” on weekends — faithful in church, serving in ministry, and outwardly spiritual. At home, I tried to keep the image of the good, obedient daughter. But underneath, I was wearing a mask — the mask of a performer. My worth was measured by how well I could keep everyone’s approval. I was religious, performance-oriented, and secretly bound in sin.
Then came a moment that would mark me forever. One Sunday, while leading worship, I suddenly became aware that I was standing before a Holy God. His presence came like a weight in the room — not condemning, but pure and piercing. In that moment, I felt His eyes searching my heart. The songs I was singing felt empty because my heart was divided.
I was leading others into His presence, yet I was living in compromise. I remember trembling before Him, tears falling as I whispered, “Lord, forgive me.” That day, the Holy Fear of the Lord came upon me. It wasn’t the kind of fear that makes you run away — it was the kind that makes you fall on your knees and say, “You are God, and I am not. You are Holy, and I am a sinner needing your grace and mercy.”
God began to reveal His character to me: pure, holy, awesome, sovereign, and jealous for His glory. He showed me that He is grieved by sin — not because He wants to punish, but because sin separates me from His presence. I realized that He is angry at sin wherever He finds it — even in me, His beloved daughter.
At that moment, I knew I had a choice to make. I could continue in the path of compromise, pretending everything was fine while keeping my sin hidden. Or I could turn away completely — surrendering the relationship, the false image, the life of duplicity.
By God’s grace, I chose to turn back. It was painful and humbling. It meant ending a relationship I had depended on for identity and security. It meant losing the approval of people I had worked so hard to please. But when I finally surrendered, I felt a freedom I had never known before. The fear of losing what I thought I needed was replaced by the fear of losing His presence.
That’s when I understood what Andrew Comiskey meant when he said that holy fear keeps us close to God’s heart. It’s not terror; it’s love that trembles. It’s the awe of realizing that the Holy Spirit dwells within me, and I never want to grieve Him again. Holy fear became my boundary, my protection, and my invitation to intimacy.
In the weeks that followed, God began to rebuild me from the inside out. I started to see that my duplicity was rooted in insecurity — in the belief that I had to perform to be loved. But God’s holiness exposed that lie and replaced it with truth: I am loved because He is love. His holiness did not drive me away; it drew me closer in reverence and trust.
Slowly, the desire to appear perfect faded. I became more honest with God and with others. I learned to confess, to be transparent, and to let the Lord purify my motives. The same hands that disciplined me also embraced me. I experienced His mercy in a way I never had before.
Holy fear changed the way I live and lead. Now, when I stand before people — whether in worship or in ministry — I no longer perform. I come as one who has been forgiven much. I’ve learned that it is possible to be both intimate with God and in awe of Him at the same time. The fear of the Lord has become the beginning of wisdom in my life (Proverbs 9:10).
There are still moments when I am tempted to go back to performance or to fear what others think. But each time, the Lord reminds me that it is better to fear Him than to please man. His presence is too precious to lose.
Holy fear has also made me more sensitive to sin — not in a legalistic way, but in a way that honors His presence. I’ve learned to quickly repent, to keep short accounts with God, and to allow His Spirit to convict me gently. There’s now a sacred awareness that He sees everything, and that nothing is hidden from Him.
Looking back, I thank God for allowing me to walk through brokenness. It was through the pain of rejection, the exposure of my duplicity, and the conviction of sin that I discovered a greater treasure — the fear of the Lord that leads to life.
Today, my heart’s desire is to walk in purity and truth, not out of duty, but out of love. I want my worship to rise from a clean heart, my service to flow from obedience, and my life to reflect His holiness.
The journey of holy fear continues. It is the daily choice to revere God more than my feelings, to obey even when it costs, and to love Him with an undivided heart. As I continue in ministry, I pray that others will not only encounter the comforting love of Jesus but also the transforming fire of His holiness — the kind of love that makes us tremble, repent, and worship in spirit and in truth.
Because holy fear is not meant to distance us from God. It is meant to draw us nearer — in awe, in humility, and in wholehearted devotion to the One who is both merciful and mighty, gracious and glorious, loving and holy.
Key Scriptures
- Proverbs 9:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
- Isaiah 11:2-3 – The Spirit of the Lord rests upon Him… the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
- Acts 9:31 – The Church grew in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
- Philippians 2:12 – Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Conclusion
Andrew Comiskey’s “Holy Fear” calls believers to return to a right view of God — to know Him as both loving Father and consuming fire. True revival begins when we approach Him with clean hearts, awe-filled worship, and holy reverence. Holy fear is not contrary to love; it is love perfected — the kind that bows low, obeys quickly, and worships deeply.
Reflection Questions:
- Self-Examination:
In what areas of your life are you living in compromise, duplicity, or performance-oriented behavior? How might the Holy Fear of God be calling you to greater transparency, honesty, and surrender? - Relationship with God:
How does your understanding of God’s holiness affect the way you worship, pray, and obey Him? Are you approaching Him casually, or with reverence and awe? - Daily Choices:
When faced with temptation or sin, how can you practically respond out of holy fear rather than fear of man, guilt, or self-preservation? What specific steps can you take to choose God’s presence over temporary comfort or approval?
BELOVED 
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