Let’s try this one one for size: Permission does not equate to merit.
I'm not sure that has any meaning. Are people's decisions disconnected from their nature, their internal conditions? What is the difference between an unbeliever and a believer? Why does one convert and the other does not? To make it easier, let's say they're both basically the same. Two brothers who have largely had the same experiences and sinful nature? What makes them different?