“We don’t go to hell because of our bad deeds, but because we reject a relationship with God”, how true is this statement?

Recently I heard a non-denominational pastor say this to other people: It’s not your sin that sends you to hell, but your rejection of God.

I’m Catholic and I feel that statement is problematic as it can potentially give people license to sin, but I just can’t articulate it and not sure if that’s the right argument without strawmanning him. Can anyone help point it out?

I know that committing mortal sins basically means rejecting God, and I also know low church Protestants reject the view of mortal sins, so are we talking about semantics here?

He probably meant well that we don’t go to heaven and brag, “oh see God I don’t do this and that sin so let me in”, but aren’t we judged by our fruits when the judgment time comes?

Also, side question, I found it interesting that most non-denominational churches are not Calvinistic, and they emphasize free will more than the Reformed counterpart, why is that?