Does God really want us to burn our books? 2 Chronicles 29-32

What does real repentance look like?   Many of us have sinned, come to the conclusion that our sin affects our fellowship with God and that we have a need to repent.   Confession is obviously a major aspect of true repentance.  In confession we are agreeing with God that the thing we have done, thought or been involved with in some way, is indeed sin.   However, confession is just a step in the process of true repentance.   After Israel confessed their sins and sought hard after God in worship, King Hezekiah and the people do one more aspect in repentance, often over looked by modern believers.  Note the following:

2 Chronicles 31:1

Idols Are Destroyed

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

When they finished confessing and worshiping it compelled them to take radical action in their lives. The rid themselves of the artifacts of sin.   They not only cleansed the heart they purified the room.    We can say all we want with our lips but until we are able to dispose of the tools of our sin in our bedrooms, playrooms and man-caves we will never have true repentance.    Note what the believers in Thessolonica were known for in regard to their faith:

1 Thessalonians 1:9

For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

They literally disposed of false idols in their lives.   Note the following in the book of Acts in regard to believers at Ephesus:

Acts 19:19

And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Confessing with your mouth is one thing ... repenting by destroying the artifacts of your sin is another.