Colossians 4:9. "With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you, they shall make know unto you all things which are done here." ONE OF YOU. Two men traveling together on their way back home - One was a servant of the Lord, the other, a slave that was owned By the man who was a leader of the church, the saints gathered in his house. Both have a testimony of being faithful, though the slave had broken loose.
What a person was before being saved does not need to be held against them. When the Holy Spirit saves a soul, that is where new life in Christ begins. There may be some restitution necessary for deeds done to one or more - But as far as being in the family of God, the grace of God doesn't bring up what happened before.
There may be the tendency on the part of some to hold someone at a distance, And not accept them as a child of God even though there's lots of resistance. When a person is born again, they are a child of God by His grace. That person, the same as the whole assembly of saints, manifests new life by faith.
They are one of you, though they may look different, their background may not be the same. There are probably things they have done in the past, but when corrected don't continue to blame Them now for what has been put right, that the whole matter may be concluded. Now in the life of the assembly you are in, they really need to be included.
Onesimus, though saved in a far away place, came home a different man. The written words of Paul were taken then, and today we too surely can Receive such a one as one of us, and confirm unto him our love. Especially when one could have never let us know that while far away God his soul did save.
There are those I think of who have gone away, I would love to have them back. Perhaps the gifts that God gave to them would fill those areas where we lack. What joy it would give to see one coming who was once considered "one of you." Maybe God will show mercy to us and do for us what we cannot seem to do.
"Gracious God, the weakness of the assembly is well known to Thee. If there is some way some of those who were once one of us would return to us and add their strength and gift to the work, we would be very grateful. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."