Is someone who is more religious closer to G-d? It depends on what the person's motivation is. Is he or she growing in the relationship? What is that person giving up for the relationship? And how much of the religion is more about G-d and not about the person himself?
And so someone who does everything religiously, but is not growing or sacrificing, could still be quite far. And when that person reaches out to a Jew who is doing less and inspires that Jew to do a Mitzvah and to make that connection. Then the sacrifice and growth of this "non-religious" Jew is credited also to the "religous Jew" and brings him closer.