Exclusiveness

I am reading in John chapter 17, Jesus's prayer. I wonder how my understanding of that is today?
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
John 17:20,21.
I know from doing research that the denomination I was raised in says that exclusiveness was never an official teaching of their denomination. But I seem to remember scriptures like the one above and perhaps John 10:16 used in that way. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.    When we believe in Jesus we become Christian because he was the Christ. The savior of the world. That denomination has split at least three times in my lifetime. I remember when I first attended another church it took me about 4 years to feel comfortable at some other church instead of the denomination I was raised in. I was taught exclusiveness, they were the true church, their denomination. I think I run into this same thing in other organizations besides just the one I was raised in. I believe when we are in Christ, we are in that one body of believers and do not have to be a member of that particular denomination. I struggle with this still today wondering if my understanding is correct. I saw over the years when something happened in a church to where people left a congregation, they would stay outside and many would not go to another denomination. The exclusiveness should be in Christ, there is no other way to God the Father except through Jesus Christ.  Somehow we seem to get that same loyalty that should be to Christ in a denomination. There are many good churches, but the highest loyalty should be to Christ above that denomination. I often wonder if anyone else struggled with that being loyal to a denomination above Christ?  When my kids were in school and I do not remember what year it was but it must have been in the late 80s, my children's mother wanted to put my children in a Christian school. I agreed and we enrolled them in a Christian school about a half-mile up the road from where we lived at the time. A little non-denominational country church.  I started attending there because I wanted to see what was going on in the congregation that was responsible for teaching my children. But I had a struggle. I felt like I was going against God because I was no longer attending a church from the denomination I was raised in. That Pastor by the name of Darcy Haisley and Raymond Weurch that followed him helped me immensely.  We were also having marital struggles at that time already. Pastor Haisley was counseling us. I remember once sitting in his office and talking about the church I grew up in and he watched my body language. There was a Bible on the desk in front of me and I pushed it away from me. He brought it to my attention. Our exclusiveness needs to be in Christ, not in a denomination. But others that have not been taught the exclusiveness have fallen for other religions other than Christianity.  As I remember it took me about 4 years to start feeling comfortable outside the denomination I was raised in.  I am comfortable in Christ, my allegiance is to Christ above all else or should be. Having been divorced 4 times I do not believe they would even accept me in their congregations anymore. But Christ does and has forgiven me. I have not checked it out, I probably should not make a statement like that but it is how I feel.  Christ accepts us just as we are and corrects us as we live in him. You do not come to God with everything corrected in your life, you come to him just as you are, loaded down with sin and he picks you up and cleanses you with the washing of water by the word as it says in Ephesians. Sins are forgiven instantly, but learning how to live in Christ is a lifelong experience. No one wakes up the morning after becoming a Christian and knows the whole Bible from cover to cover. But in our relationship with Christ, we grow into looking like our Savior. Sins are forgiven instantly but learning to live in Christ lasts a lifetime. I am still learning and even sometimes relearning how to live in this present world.  I don't have a corner on the gospel and hope I never feel like I do. But I am growing in Christ day by day.
One Day at a Time

Merle Haggard

I'm only human I'm just a man
Help me to believe in what I could be and all that I am
Show me the stairway that I have to climb
Lord for my sake teach me to take one day at a time
One day at a time sweet Jesus that's all I'm asking from you
Give me the strength to do every day what I have to do
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine
So for my sake teach me to take one day at a time

Do you remember when you walked among men
Well Jesus you know if you're looking below it's worse now than then
Pushing and shoving crowding my mind
So for my sake teach me to take one day at a time
One day at a time sweet Jesus that's all I'm asking from you
Give me the strength to do every day what I have to do
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine
Yes just for my sake teach me to take one day at a time

God bless, LVZ.