Under the paragraph heading "Regeneration and Conversion," Martin Luther wrote:
"Those whom the Holy Spirit has brought to repentance and faith are in a state of regeneration and conversion. The change which has taken place in them is called a new birth or regeneration, because a new life has been planted in them. It is called conversion, because they have been converted or turned from sin to righteousness, from self to God.
It is not necessary that a Christian should be able to point to the exact time of his conversion. The important question is not, "When were we converted?" but, "Are we now in a converted state?" that is, "Are we now penitent and believing?"
(An explanation of Luther's small catechism By Martin Luther, Joseph Stump)
See here
Thus, Martin Luther did not put faith before regeneration and new birth, nor did he conceive of regeneration as being distinct from conversion.
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